Lonely Nights
by Redhazard
Summary: They weren't lovers. They certainly weren't friends. At best, they qualified as acquaintances. However, one crazy night changes all of that. Pretending it didn't happen would have been the smart choice. Unfortunately, neither Blake nor Jaune is all that good at making smart choices.
1. Chapter 1

**I usually don't use warnings, but I figure it's fair in this case:**

 **This story will deal with themes of a sexual nature. It also has a chance of getting a bit dark.**

 **This story will _not_ contain explicit scenes. **

**That is all.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

Consciousness returned to Blake accompanied by a pounding headache.

She tried to open her eyes but found herself too drowsy to do so. Blake frowned as the smell of alcohol, sweat, and something else hit her nose. The girl turned around in her bed, hoping to escape the smell.

She bumped into something. Someone gasped.

It wasn't her.

Slowly, very slowly, Blake opened her eyes.

Jaune Arc's very wide, very panicked eyes stared right back at her.

Time stopped. The two teenagers froze as their minds struggled to comprehend the situation. For a moment, there was silence, utterly perfect stillness. However, it could not last forever. Time resumed with pulling, pushing, and half-finished sounds that never got the chance to become words. Someone screamed like a little girl. Blake was pretty sure it wasn't her.

At some point during the chaos, Blake realized that not only was Jaune naked but so was she. Jaune seemed to realize it at the same time as she did because his face turned as red as his partner's hair.

"Wait!" Blake said at last. By then, Jaune was on the floor with only a pillow protecting his modesty while Blake was on the bed with her back against the wall, a lone sheet held against her naked chest.

"Wait," she repeated before anything else could happen. She took a deep breath. "Let's calm down and think for a second."

Jaune did, or at least, he stopped moving. He still very much looked like a cornered animal about to run at any second. Regardless, some semblance of peace returning to the room gave Blake the opportunity to take in all the details she hadn't noticed before.

For one, she wasn't in her room back at Beacon. There were no bunk beds anywhere to be found, no rose petals littering the floor, and none of those posters Yang liked to put up. Instead, Blake was in a plain room with one bed and one bathroom, most likely a motel of some kind.

Her body was sweaty and sore in various places.

She and Jaune were naked.

Had she… had they… Blake clenched her eyes shut and reminded herself to breathe.

"What happened?"

Blake was not expecting Jaune to answer, but he did anyway.

"T-There…there was a party, I think," Jaune said. His eyes were looking at everything in the room but Blake. "We all went out to Vale."

With those words, Blake started to remember.

"Right. Yang came up with the idea."

It was the last weekend before the new semester started. Yang and Ruby had gone to Patch for the break but had returned early. Yang wanted to do something special before classes began, so she had talked them into a night out. The blonde claimed she knew all the best places. It had started out as a Team RWBY activity, but Nora had gotten wind of it. She and Yang had started talking, and the rest was history.

"We went to a club." Jaune was holding his head. "There was dancing. I remember dancing. Then we started to drink."

"I remember," Blake said. As it turned out, Jaune was an amazing dancer. He and Yang had somehow gotten into a dance-off which he had won. Yang had taken a shot of whiskey as punishment. "After that…"

After that, things started to get… weird.

Yang did not hold her liquor well. One shot was all it took for her to start slurring her words and giggling at everything and anything. By itself, that wouldn't have been so bad, but somehow, a drunk Yang Xiao Long was more dangerous than a sober one. Blake still didn't know how she had convinced everyone to drink so much, but she had.

In less than an hour, Weiss was in the middle of a spirited conversation with an empty chair, Jaune was challenging anyone who came close to him to any competition he could think of while looking more confident than Blake had ever seen him, and Ruby was grouchy and calling everyone lightweights. Then…

"We were going back to Beacon," Jaune said, snapping his fingers. "We had way too much to drink, so we had to call a cab."

"Right." Blake nodded. The motion made her a bit woozy. "There was not enough room for all of us. We sent Yang, Ren, Nora, and Ruby first."

"Yeah, we had to call another cab just for the two of us. Then… Then…"

 _"Thish ish boring!"_

 _"I knooows…Heyyy, woushdn't it be hilarioush if we like… you know!"_

 _"I knowsh!"_

The slurred words came unbidden to Blake's mind. She couldn't remember who said what, but she couldn't deny they had been said. Judging by Jaune's wide eyes, he was remembering as well. The question. The answer. The sloppy kisses that followed.

Asking the driver to take them to the nearest motel.

"Oh." The tiny sound escaped Blake's mouth. Her faced burned with mortification. Of course, what else had she been expecting? She should have realized it the moment she noticed their nakedness. What else could that smell be?

They had sex.

Jaune looked as lost as she felt. "I… we…it happened, didn't it? I'm not remembering wrong or anything, right?"

Not trusting herself to speak. Blake nodded. To her surprise, Jaune chuckled. It wasn't a happy sound by any means. If anything, it was surprisingly bitter coming from the leader of Team JNPR. "My first time and I don't even remember it… great."

Blake pulled the bedsheet tighter around her body. "It was my first time too."

"Oh."

While many in the White Fang would be surprised to hear it, her relationship with Adam had never quite progressed to that point. At first, it had been because she was too young. Even though Blake had been willing to cross that threshold with him back then, it was Adam, surprisingly, who had pointed out the importance of waiting for the right time.

By the time Blake fully blossomed into a woman, it had been Adam's growing mental instability that kept them apart as their arguments over his methods became more frequent. Simply put, the right time had never come.

Now, she had her first time with Jaune Arc, someone she knew but rarely talked with. Not a friend or a lover, but an acquaintance. It was preferable to what Adam had become, but still not quite what Blake had been expecting.

An oppressing silence fell on the room as both struggled to process what had happened between them.

"I think," Blake said at last, "that we should pretend this didn't happen. It doesn't need to change anything between us. Anything that happened in this room doesn't need to leave it. It is best if we just forget about it."

There. That was the most practical way to settle this. If what they had done got out of this room, things would only get complicated. Yang would tease them mercilessly. Pyrrha would… Blake didn't want to imagine what she would do.

Besides, it wasn't like she and Jaune were about to start a relationship or anything just because something like this happened. It was just a drunken one-night stand, a silly mistake born from too much alcohol. Nothing more. There was no need to let something like this make things awkward. Jaune should be able to understand that. Blake honestly believed that.

Which was why Blake was completely surprised by the pained look that appeared on Jaune's face.

It took her a few seconds to understand his reaction. When Blake did, she wanted to kick herself. Of course. What guy would like to be asked to keep his first time a secret by the girl he just had sex with? It could easily be interpreted as the girl being ashamed of him.

Even a confident person risked getting his ego bruised, and Jaune was very much not a confident man. Blake knew that much about him. He had probably jumped straight into the worst possible interpretation of her words. Blake opened her mouth to try to explain herself better when Jaune spoke up.

"So, anything that happens in this room, we don't talk about it ever again?" Jaune asked. The use of present tense confused Blake, but still, she nodded.

"Then…" Jaune opened and closed his mouth multiple times, struggling to find the right words. "Does that mean we can talk about what happened last night before we leave this room? I mean, if you want to."

Blake didn't want to. However, she didn't want Jaune taking that the wrong way. "I guess."

"Alright, then…" Jaune's face somehow managed to grow redder. "Did you… I mean… Did I…" Jaune took a deep breath before blurting out, "Did you finish?"

Silence.

Completely and utter silence.

Blake stared at Jaune, unable to believe he had just asked that. Jaune looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Nevermind," Jaune said, quickly shaking his head and immediately wincing. His head probably still hurt from all the drinking. In fact, that was likely the reason why he had even been able to ask that question, Blake reasoned. He was probably still drunk. That had to be it. "Forget it. That was dumb. I-"

"I don't remember," Blake said.

She was obviously also not quite in her right state of mind if she felt the need to answer that.

"Oh." Jaune looked down. "I only asked because… I have seven sisters."

Blake stared. This time for entirely different reasons.

"Yeah, that's usually how people react." Jaune sighed. "What I am getting at is that they talk. I mean, of course, they do. They are people. People talk all the time-"

"Jaune," Blake cut in before he could start rambling.

"Right. Sorry," Jaune said. "When I say talk, I mean they talk about female stuff. Not just make-up and clothes, but things like that time of the month and how their dates went. With way too much detail sometimes." Jaune shuddered. "It's not like they did it on purpose. No sister goes out of her way to tell her brother how she and her boyfriend got to second base."

Blake suddenly felt glad she was an only child. It was a welcome distraction from the situation she was in.

"It's just sometimes they didn't notice I was in the room. They would talk for a while before realizing I was there. Sometimes, I just happened to overhear stuff. I have heard my sisters talking about guys they have been… intimate with more times than I can count. It was all very embarrassing. Not as much as this, though."

Jaune tried to smile at Blake then promptly looked down once he remembered a bedsheet was the only thing covering her body.

"Something that came up a lot during their talks was that many of their boyfriends didn't make them… finish. I heard that complaint again and again. Hearing that sort of thing, I thought to myself I didn't want to be a guy like that, someone who only cared about getting his."

"So that's why you wanted to know," Blake said. It was cold comfort, but at least, Jaune looked more mortified than she felt right now. "Like I said, I don't remember much."

Kisses. Passionate caresses. Clothes being torn off in their haste. Things got blurry after that.

"It's fine," Jaune said. "It doesn't matter."

The dejected look on his face made it clear that it was not fine and that it did matter. Blake struggled to find something to say. Even though she had said they should pretend this never happened, she had a feeling that was not going to happen, not with Jaune being the way he was right now. She needed to make this right somehow, or else it would linger between them. She needed to say something.

"We could… try again."

That was not it.

Drunk. She had to be. She was obviously still drunk, Blake told herself as her mind caught up with the words that had left her lips. There was no way she would ever have said something like that if she was still sober. Maybe it was the dehydration kicking in.

"You know, try to make a good memory out of this."

What was she even saying!

She needed to say something, play it off as a joke. This was not even remotely what she had in mind when she thought she had to make things right.

"Okay."

The lone word left Jaune's mouth. It was weak, more of a gasp than anything else. Still, it made its way around the room just fine. Blake heard it. Jaune heard it. They couldn't deny it had been uttered. Suddenly, it became hard to breathe. Suddenly, Blake became more aware of her and Jaune's nakedness. Their eyes, which had struggled to look at everything in the room but each other, finally met.

His body had grown, Blake realized. Under the hoodie and jeans, Jaune was in the process of turning into lean, toned muscle, muscle which was now exposed to her, only a pillow blocking her view of what was truly important.

Blake unconsciously licked her lips, now all too aware of how naked she was, how the bedsheet that in her nervousness she had pulled tightly around her body did little to conceal her figure. Judging by the sudden intensity of Jaune's gaze, he noticed too.

She should put a stop to this, Blake told herself as her grip on the bedsheet weakened. She should explain to Jaune that this was a horrible idea. There was no possible way this could end well. They barely knew each other. Once this day was over, they would look back and realize how stupid they were being. It would make things horribly awkward.

She didn't.

She didn't say anything as Jaune moved closer to her and she moved closer to him. She didn't say anything as the sheet fully slipped from her fingers, revealing her body to him once more. She didn't say anything as their lips met, tentatively at first then with growing confidence.

They did it two more times that day and a few more after showering which led to another shower. That day, Blake found that Ninjas of Love had not been exaggerating the beneficial effects of Aura on a man's ability to perform.

And she did finish.

xXx

The break was over. The new semester had begun.

Jaune was in the middle of Combat Class.

He jumped back as Cardin's mace came down on him. The boy's double-handed mace had a longer reach than Jaune's sword. Jaune could continue dodging by keeping himself out of Cardin's range but doing so put him too far away to land a hit. It was a difficult situation. To hurt Cardin, Jaune needed to get close. If he got close, Cardin would have him in mace range before he had Cardin in sword range.

Pyrrha had impressed on Jaune the importance of managing your effective range in a fight. He understood the concept, but he was still having trouble putting it into practice. That was fine, Pyrrha had told him. These things took time.

Jaune understood that.

Jaune really didn't want to lose to Cardin.

Cardin wasn't the strongest or the weakest in their year. If anything, he and the rest of Team CRDL were firmly in the middle. In theory, there was no shame in losing to Cardin. However, Cardin was an ass, an ass who had blackmailed him and tried to have Pyrrha stung by bees. Jaune was not about to lose to him ever again.

Sure, Jaune knew that Cardin had trained for much longer than he had. Unlike him, Cardin had probably gone to combat school or received training from his family, probably both. The odds favored Cardin. Jaune knew that.

However, Jaune was feeling pretty good about himself right now.

Before Cardin could go for another blow, Jaune dashed in. Predictably, Cardin's mace came at him again. A loud clang rang through the classroom as Cardin's weapon hit his shield. Jaune managed to brace himself in time to properly receive the blow. Usually, this would be the part where Jaune backed away to get some breathing room. However, he was feeling confident. Instead of moving back, Jaune grunted, put his weight into his shield, and _pushed_.

It worked. Cardin was forced to take a faltering step back. Jaune took another step forward and managed to hit Cardin in the face with his shield. At that moment, something clicked in Jaune's mind.

He was stronger than Cardin.

Not stronger in the sense of being more skilled. Cardin probably still had him beat there. However, Jaune's large aura reserves granted him a considerable amount of physical toughness. He had never tried to leverage that properly against Cardin or anyone else. He had always gone into a clash expecting to lose… because that was the way it had always been.

Jaune narrowed his eyes. For once, he had the advantage, and he wasn't about to lose it. He took another step, closing the distance. His sword came from behind his shield to slash at Cardin's side. The shield came next, forcing Cardin back yet again.

At such a close range, Cardin could not properly swing his weapon. Maybe if he had some time to gather himself, he could turn the tables. However, Jaune kept pushing him. He kept pressing his advantage, never giving Cardin a moment's rest. Shield bash. Shield bash. Stab. Shield bash. Repeat. Jaune never lost the momentum.

With one last blow from his shield, Cardin fell.

The Aura meters showed Cardin's Aura was in the red. Ms. Goodwitch announced Jaune as the victor a second later.

Clapping and cheers followed, most of them from his team, especially Nora, but some came from Team RWBY and some from students who did not care much for Cardin and enjoyed seeing him put in his place. Jaune smiled sheepishly, proud of his success.

With his head held high, he waved back at his team. For an almost imperceptible instant, his eyes met Blake's. He nodded at her.

The nod she gave him back was small, almost minuscule. Someone else would not have caught it.

But it was there, and that made all the difference.

xXx

Blake was not having a good day. She was not even having a good week.

The new semester had started out well enough for her. Blake's lack of formal education had hurt her performance in some classes during her early months at Beacon, but by now, she had more than gotten used to things.

Then she had seen the news.

Dust theft after Dust theft. The police blamed the White Fang, and after what she had seen at the docks, Blake couldn't deny how likely that was anymore. It was no secret that the White Fang stole Dust. They had done so even when she had been a member. However, they had never gone out of their way to target random small shops before. There was no merit to it.

The White Fang normally targeted SDC stores. It hurt the company that most abused the faunus and gave the White Fang the resources to continue their fight. It was a win-win situation.

This new dynamic. The alliance with a human thief like Torchwick. No matter how much Blake thought about it, it didn't make any sense to her. There was no cause to it. It was nothing but pure, rampant theft.

It was beneath them.

A different person might have been able to ignore such things and focus on living her new life, but not Blake Belladonna. The White Fang was her responsibility. Her father had been High Leader, and she had been complicit in its transformation. There was no way she could ignore this.

Blake had started investigating. Every day, she went over the news. She scoured the web for rumors, no matter how insignificant they may seem. She looked at old newspapers, hoping she could find clues. She drew a map of Vale in her notebook and marked the locations of every major Dust theft since the beginning of the year.

Sometimes, she would stare at the map for hours, trying to find a pattern. Her performance in class suffered as a result. Blake was barely getting enough sleep. Some nights, she didn't get any sleep at all. Even so, she would not stop.

There had to be an explanation. There had to be a reason.

Blake closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were tired, and she had a headache. Nowadays, it seemed like she always had a headache. She had caught her teammates trading worried glances when they thought she wasn't looking. Luckily, they hadn't tried to interfere yet. They didn't understand how important this was.

She needed to solve this. She needed to figure it out.

Blake stared at the map. Her nails dug into the table.

Why was she having so much trouble with this?

She had been a member of the White Fang for years! She understood the organization better than most, certainly better than Vale's so far unsuccessful law enforcement. She should be more than capable of solving this.

It was the headache. It had to be. It wasn't letting her think straight! All the stress was messing with her head.

Blake took a deep breath. Maybe she did need some sort of break. When was the last time she felt relaxed?

Blake's eyes widened as a multitude of vivid images came to her mind.

No. The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes. She did not just think about that. It hadn't happened. It had just been a one-time thing. She hadn't been thinking. It could have ruined everything, and they were lucky no one had noticed anything.

Well, almost no one.

Blake grimaced as she recalled what had happened when she returned to Beacon that day.

xXx

It was already afternoon when Blake returned to Beacon. She and Jaune had taken separate bullhead rides just in case. If someone saw them arrive on the same ride, people might start talking. Such was the nature of Beacon.

Upon arriving, Blake went to the communal showers. She had already cleaned herself up at the motel, but it never hurt to be extra careful. She didn't want to go into her room smelling like sex. Ruby and Weiss might not be able to recognize the smell, but she had a feeling Yang might.

Yang was the last person Blake needed knowing about this. Her teammate would never let her live it down.

After her shower, Blake hadn't gone to her room right away. Instead, she had approached it by the window. She might be clean, but there was no hiding she was wearing yesterday's clothes. She needed to go into the room without being seen, grab some clothes, then pretend she hadn't spent the night outside. She'd need to think of a good cover story, but Blake was confident in her ability to do so.

Blake could see Yang through the window. Fortunately, she was snoring and quite loudly at that. Like a ninja of olden times, the faunus snuck in through the window without making a sound. As she made her way inside, Blake heard water coming from the shower. Someone was using it. No matter. She just needed to grab a change of clothes and-

"Hi, Blake."

Blake totally did not hiss like a cat.

The raven-haired girl looked around for the source of the voice. Yang was still asleep. Whoever was in the shower hadn't come out yet. That left…

"Ruby," Blake said, looking up. The girl was sitting in her precariously balanced bunk bed. Her legs dangled in the air. Ruby did not look like someone who had been out drinking last night. She looked sober and hangover free. Her silver eyes stared right at her.

"Crazy night last night, huh?" Ruby said. Blake went through her words dozens of times before concluding there was no hidden trap there.

"Yes, it was really… something." This was fine, Blake told herself. It was just Ruby. She wouldn't jump to all the worst conclusions like Yang. She wouldn't be annoyingly clever like Weiss. She would just be Ruby. Sweet. Innocent. Ruby.

"So how did things go with Jaune?"

Had Blake been drinking anything, she would have spewed it all over the floor. As it was, she was left making a bunch of nonsense sounds, some of which might have been words.

"I… geh… blah… I… what?"

"You and Jaune," Ruby repeated. "You were going to take the same cab and didn't come back last night. I was worried. I left a message in your scroll."

Blake hadn't taken the time to check her scroll yet.

"Look, Ruby, I don't know what you think happened last night, but we were all fairly drunk. It is normal if you don't remember everything and-"

Ruby rolled eyes. "Blake, I remember everything. I don't get drunk. You want drunk? Look at Yang."

Blake did. Even though they had not been quiet, the blonde showed no signs of waking up.

"Yang could never hold her liquor," Ruby said as if ashamed of the fact. "Not like me. I learned everything Uncle Qrow had to teach me." She looked away. "Well, that and my Semblance helps me burn alcohol pretty fast. It helps me burn through a lot of things. It's why I can eat so many cookies. Alcohol doesn't do much for me unless I want it to."

Blake froze. If Ruby had been sober last night that meant…

"So yeah, I remember everything that happened. You and Jaune were the least drunk of the lot, so I thought it was safe to let you guys share a cab while I took care of the others. You didn't come back last night."

"Nothing happened!" Blake said, her amber eyes wide and full of panic.

"I didn't say that. I thought you had fallen asleep on the cab or something. I was worried!"

"Oh."

Ruby's eyes narrowed. "But now I am thinking something did happen."

"Nothing happened."

"Blake." Ruby's gaze softened. "You and Jaune are my friends. You know that. If anything happened-"

"Nothing happened," Blake insisted.

Ruby gave her a long, searching look before sighing. "Fine."

xXx

That had been one of the most uncomfortable moments in Blake's life.

On the plus side, Ruby had made no attempts to bring up the subject again. She also hadn't told anyone else about it. The only change in Ruby's behavior since that talk were the occasional glances she shot Jaune and her, and even those were becoming less and less common.

Beyond that little hiccup, things had not changed much. She and Jaune had not gotten any closer. Really, there was no reason for them to do so. They just had a one-night stand. Nothing more.

Right. It was just a one-night stand she could barely remember. Then the morning after. That part she did remember. Blake blushed. She still couldn't believe they had actually done all that. However, she couldn't deny the experience had not been bad.

It had been awkward at first, but it had grown to be quite… pleasant. Good, even. She had come out of that motel room feeling completely refreshed. It was as if all her stress had vanished.

It was the exact opposite of what she was feeling now.

No. Blake shook her head. She was not going there. She wasn't even considering it. Whatever had possessed her that night was no more. It had happened once, but never again.

She needed to focus on the task at hand. She had no time for stupid ideas. Time she did not spend working on this was time the White Fang used to accomplish their goals. There could be no excuses. No interruptions. No distractions. If Blake had to go through a couple more nights of minimal sleep, then so be it. She needed to solve this.

Her resolve made, Blake went back to her research.

It told her nothing.

The stress kept building.

xXx

Jaune was on his way back to the dorms when a familiar black ribbon wrapped itself around him. He didn't even have time to yell as he was dragged into an empty classroom. A familiar body pressed itself against him. Soft lips made contact with his. A tongue sought entrance into his mouth. Dazed, he let it.

All too soon, the kiss ended.

"Blake!" Her name left his mouth with awe. Her hair was frazzled. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her appearance spoke of sleepless nights. Even so, she was still one of the most beautiful women Jaune had ever seen.

"I've been thinking," Blake said, her breathing heavy from the kiss. "There is really no reason to keep what happened last time a one-time thing. It could be our secret. Outside nothing changes. We don't talk about it. Here, we can continue where we left off. What do you say?"

Jaune considered this.

Like any healthy teenage boy, he didn't need to consider it for long.

"Okay."

* * *

 **AN: And so, it begins. Jaune and Blake are the best bad decision makers in RWBY so this is going to be a bumpy ride.**

 **This fic is not something I'd normally write, so it's going to be a bit of a challenge. However, I really want to take a stab at this.**

 **Readers of** **_The Jaune-Shots_ will probably feel disappointed that this was the one-shot I decided to turn into a full-length story first. I know plenty of people were interested in _Individual System_ and even _Maybe I'm a Lion_. However, I decided to start with this one for two reasons. First, as I was writing it, I also ended up doing the outline for the full fic. Second, this is going to be a short story. It's not going to demand as much time from me as something like ID or MIAL would.**

 **Now, here's how this is going to work. I'm going to try to update this fic on a weekly schedule. Never tried that before, but hopefully I'll be able to do it. To the ones who already read this over at _The Jaune-Shots_ , don't worry. You're getting more content soon enough.**

 **See you all next Friday!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Huh, this received more attention than I thought it would.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

"Pyrrha!"

"On it!"

A streak of red struck the giant Ursa Jaune was fighting with. Pyrrha's javelin pierced through the back of its head in an instant, killing it. Jaune would like to say he had distracted the Ursa for her, but he knew Pyrrha could have taken that thing on her own.

Jaune shot Pyrrha a grateful smile before his gaze swept over the battlefield. They had already dealt with the larger, more dangerous Grimm, but a multitude of smaller ones was coming. That meant the best move right now was…

"Nora! Go for it!"

At his signal, Nora grinned as she jumped over a tree and shifted her hammer to grenade launcher mode. The other three members of Team JNPR had already started running as Nora looked at the incoming horde and pulled the trigger.

A large, loud, and unbelievably pink explosion rocked the forest. Pyrrha and Jaune stood side by side, holding their shields out in front of them, protecting themselves and Ren from the shockwave. Jaune coughed as the smoke cleared. Nora's attack had left no survivors.

"Guess that takes care of that." He looked to his team. "Everyone okay?"

"I am well. Thanks for asking," Ren said as he dusted off his clothes.

"No injuries here," Pyrrha said with a smile. No surprise there. Jaune knew she could have taken all the Grimm on her own if she had to. Pyrrha was amazing like that.

The four of them were training in Emerald Forest. Jaune had found out students could request permission from a teacher to go down there and fight Grimm. Since his training with Pyrrha was going well and his performance in class was improving, Jaune decided to give it a shot. It was a good opportunity for Team JNPR to fight as a team.

The results had been more than satisfactory, not that Jaune would say he had done much. He just had amazing teammates.

"Jaune!" Jaune managed to brace himself in time as a Nora-shaped missile struck him. Not for the first time, he was glad his Aura was unlocked by Pyrrha before meeting Nora. "That was awesome! Did you see the explosion? Did you? Shame it wasn't heart-shaped. I think I'm going to look up how to make heart-shaped explosions. You know, like fireworks! Oh, we should buy fireworks!"

Jaune pictured Grimm being exterminated by a giant, pink, heart-shaped explosion.

He shuddered.

"It was pretty powerful," Jaune admitted. He frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Was it okay, though? I mean, I don't want you to waste Dust."

"It's fine!" Nora said, waving his concern away.

"Beacon students receive a budget for weapon expenses," Ren added when Jaune didn't look convinced. "We are expected to use our weapons. There would be no point in hampering the performance of students with less financial resources."

Jaune blinked. Did that mean he had a weapons budget he wasn't using? He was going to have to look into that.

"Besides, it was awesome," Nora insisted. "You were cool today, Jaune-Jaune!"

Jaune grinned at the praise then frowned. Wait, did that mean he wasn't cool most days? Jaune thought about that for a second.

Okay, yeah. Point conceded.

"Come on, it wasn't much," Jaune said. "I just shouted some orders. You guys did all the work."

"You are our leader," Pyrrha said. "It is expected of you to give orders. I agree with Nora. You helped us mesh together today. We would have had far more trouble without you."

Ren did not say anything, but he did give Jaune that small, subtle nod that told him he agreed with the other two.

"Aw, guys." Jaune blushed and looked away, one hand scratching his cheek. They were seriously way too nice. "You're making me blush."

"Anyway." Jaune coughed. "I guess we should go back to Beacon already. We don't want to stay here too long."

Fighting Grimm during the day was fine, but they had been at it for a few hours now. Physically, Jaune was sure they could keep going. However, it was probably best to leave the forest before the sun went down.

"Any objections?" Jaune asked just in case. He didn't think there would be, but it never hurt to ask. Pyrrha shook her head as did Ren.

"The cafeteria sounds good right now. I could eat a horse!" Nora said. She probably wasn't even exaggerating. "Ren, we need to figure out how to buy a horse!"

"I guess it's back to Beacon then," Jaune said, ignoring Nora's comments on the feasibility of getting their hands on a horse to slaughter.

As the four walked back to Beacon, Nora and Ren drifted ahead of the group. Well, it was more like Nora wanted to get to Beacon right away and dragged Ren along. Jaune and Pyrrha fell no more than a few steps behind them.

"You seem happy," Pyrrha said.

Jaune blinked in surprise at the comment. Was it weird for him to be happy? Actually, it probably was. That was kinda sad.

"I guess it's because I am? I mean, when I first came here, I was worried about a bunch of things because… you know."

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. Jaune had already told everyone in Team JNPR and Team RWBY about his fake transcripts, but he still wasn't comfortable saying it aloud. There was always a risk of someone overhearing. The last thing he wanted was another Cardin situation.

"I wasn't doing well in classes, combat or otherwise," Jaune admitted. "But that's changed. I passed the first semester. I can handle the workload now. I think I am starting to get the hang of all this. So yeah, I guess I am feeling good about myself."

All in all, Jaune was getting used to life at Beacon. He was making progress. Succeeding even!

Pyrrha tilted her head as she looked at him. Her emerald eyes peered into his. "Is that all? It's just… it seems like something happened recently."

"W-What?" Jaune almost bit his tongue, before quickly shaking his head. "N-No! Nothing like that. I mean, what else could have happened?"

Pyrrha stared at him for another second, but mercifully, she did not press the subject. The conversation soon drifted to other topics, something for which Jaune was grateful for. He wasn't the best liar on a good day, and this particular subject made it very hard for him to keep a clear head.

Pyrrha was right. Something had happened.

Something had happened several times now. At least once a week, but usually more often than that. Jaune blushed as he recalled the many vivid memories. The utter impossibility of the situation.

He, Jaune Arc, was having sex with Blake Belladonna.

He was having sex with a girl so far out of his league he could scarcely believe it. In many ways, he still didn't. That first time still seemed more dream than reality to him. Then Blake had actually sought him out. Him. Jaune Arc. The guy who needed fake transcripts to get into Beacon because he had never been good enough.

Jaune had no illusions about himself. He wasn't cool or popular or smart. He wouldn't call himself ugly, but he didn't think he was particularly attractive.

He had never been good with girls. Some guys could walk up to the girl they liked and successfully start a conversation. That wasn't him. He had always been too nervous, too hesitant. He always messed up somehow. His father told him all he needed was confidence, but how was he supposed to be confident when he had nothing to be confident of?

Sneaking into Beacon had not done much for Jaune's confidence. If anything, Beacon made it very hard to be confident. There was not a single person who was even slightly out-of-shape, no one who was even somewhat ugly. The girls that went to Beacon were girls that could have been famous models or actresses. In Beacon, they were just another face in the crowd.

Then there were the girls around him. Pyrrha. Nora. Ruby. Weiss. Blake. Yang. Out of all the girls at Beacon, those six stood above the rest as far as Jaune was concerned. There was no way he had a shot with any of them. Jaune understood that on some level. However, for some reason, something had happened with Blake. Blake Belladonna. Beautiful. Graceful. Ever so distant. She had seemed so far out of his reach before.

Yet she had sought him out.

 _She_ had sought _him_ out.

Jaune couldn't believe it. Blake had allowed him to touch her, to kiss her, to please her. When they met behind closed doors, Jaune saw a different Blake. He didn't see the cool, distant beauty most people at Beacon saw. He saw fire and passion. In her kisses and caresses. In the way her body writhed against his, desperately seeking release.

Jaune did his best to give it to her. Over and over. As many times as he could.

Her gasp. Her moans. Her flushed skin. The way she tried and failed to avoid moaning in pleasure, afraid of being discovered as he worshipped every inch of her body. Knowing he did that to her. Knowing he could bring out that side of Blake. Jaune would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel good. It made him feel important. Valuable.

His scroll beeped, drawing him out of his thoughts. A message had arrived. It was from Blake.

SM5P

By now, the code was more than familiar to Jaune. Blake was expecting him at the usual place in five hours.

It had been Blake's idea to arrange their meetings by scroll. She had also come up with the idea of using a code just in case anyone saw the messages. Jaune had no problems with this. He couldn't deny a part of him found the secrecy of it all rather cool.

As Team JNPR arrived at Beacon, it occurred to Jaune that there was going to be a dance in a few months. Maybe he should ask Blake if she wanted to go with him.

As fun as sneaking around was, it would be nice if they could spend some normal time together.

xXx

After sending the message, Blake discretely looked around. She was relieved to find no one had been looking at her.

Team RWBY was in the library. They had a test with Oobleck coming up next week, and Weiss had insisted on extra study sessions. The heiress was currently helping Ruby go over the material. While Ruby was far from dumb, she had jumped two years. There were things Ruby didn't know simply because they would have been covered in the years of schooling she skipped.

Blake was in a similar situation. She couldn't remember the last time she had been in a normal school. Her mother had done her best to homeschool her, and after parting ways with her parents, Blake had taken her education into her own hands with mixed results.

Luckily, that had not affected her performance at Beacon too much. Beacon's classes mainly focused on Grimm, Dust, and Combat. Those were subjects she had no problems with. As for Oobleck, he was currently covering the after-effects of the Faunus Rights Revolution. To say she was well-read in the subject would be an understatement.

"Someone's in a good mood." Blake looked up as Yang sat down next to her. "Doing something fun?"

"Shouldn't you be studying?" Blake asked while smoothly switching apps on her Scroll.

Even if Yang had managed to get a look at her screen, all she would have seen would have been the coded message she sent Jaune. The code was a slight variant of an old White Fang code. It was simple enough for new recruits to pick up which meant it was simple enough for Jaune to learn without trouble.

"I'm good," Yang said, patting her books. "When your dad and uncle teach at your school, you learn how to keep your grades up. Oobleck's test is going to be a breeze."

"Fair enough," Blake said. She held up her scroll for Yang to see. The screen no longer showed her messages but rather a history website. "I was just double checking some information to prepare for the essay portion."

Yang nodded but didn't pay much attention to the scroll. "You are looking better now."

"I wasn't aware I looked bad."

"Come on, Blake." Yang rolled her eyes. "You haven't been in the best of moods lately, what with the White Fang stealing all the Dust around." Yang then hurried to add, "I know the news aren't saying the White Fang did it, but-"

"But they are saying Torchwick did it, and Torchwick is working with the White Fang."

It hurt Blake to even say it. To recognize the White Fang was working with a common criminal like Torchwick was infuriating.

"Oh, you aren't denying it. Good." Yang sighed in relief. Blake felt slightly offended by that. It wasn't like she was incapable of admitting bad things about the White Fang. She wouldn't have left if she was.

"We were all pretty worried about you," Yang said. Her lilac eyes gazed at Ruby and Weiss as the latter helped the former understand a particularly difficult passage. "You weren't sleeping. You weren't eating. You just kept creepily looking at newspapers all night."

Blake still looked at newspapers. She was just more efficient about it now.

"If you had kept going like that, I was going to have to corner you until I convinced you to take better care of yourself," Yang admitted.

"I am glad you didn't have to."

"Same here. What changed, though? One day you were being way Blake-ier than usual. The next, you were back to normal."

Had it been so sudden?

Had it been so noticeable?

Blake took pride in her self-control. For Yang to have noticed it meant she had been in worst shape than she thought before… recruiting Jaune into helping her.

"It was nothing special," Blake said, turning a page on her history book. "I just realized I needed to unwind."

Which she had. Pleasantly. Energetically. Repeatedly.

Yang cocked her head to the side. "So, what? You went for a run or something?"

"Something like that." Blake's mind couldn't help but think back on her now many times with Jaune. "It helped me sleep better."

Clumsy as he may be in the fighting ring, Jaune was very much not clumsy in the bedroom, not after all the practice they'd had. In fact, Jaune was a surprisingly considerate lover. The blond seemed to take an inordinate amount of pride in being so, not that Blake was complaining. She was very much not complaining about it.

Blake had to fight the satisfied smile that threatened to appear on her face.

Against all odds, their arrangement was working. When Blake was with Jaune, she let go completely. Worries. Doubts. Fears. It was all unleashed in a haze of passion.

Blake came out of her sessions with Jaune renewed, free of stress and able to think better. No longer she felt compelled to go multiple nights without sleeping until she could connect invisible dots. It didn't mean Blake had stopped investigating the White Fang. It just meant she was better able to focus her efforts.

Still, it didn't last. It never did. The news kept coming. Her unease and dread kept growing. However, that was fine. Her meetings with Jaune allowed her to keep the stress at a manageable level.

Yang looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Well, whatever it is, it seems to be working. Make sure to keep it doing it."

Blake intended to.

"It's just… you kind of had us scared," Yang admitted, looking oddly vulnerable. Blake felt a pang of guilt for a second before ruthlessly squashing it. She didn't like worrying her team, but they didn't understand. They didn't know the White Fang like she did. This was her responsibility, not theirs. "Just remember, if anything happens, we're here for you."

"I know."

If Blake asked for their help, they would give it. That was precisely why she could never do so. The White Fang was not something they should involve themselves in. Strong as they may be, they were still too innocent She couldn't afford to drag her friends into this.

In a way, that was why her arrangement with Jaune worked so well. In spite of everything they had done in private, the lines between them in public were still quite clear. Sure, she caught him looking at her a few times, and Blake would be lying if she said she hadn't done the same. However, it didn't go beyond that. He didn't butt into her business, and she didn't butt into his. There was no risk of them getting too involved with each other.

Their relationship was convenient that way.

xXx

Beacon was a large school with a relatively low number of students.

The King of Vale had been a forward-thinking man as well as a positive one. He saw a future where the population of Vale boomed, leading to more and more hopeful huntsmen and huntresses. Beacon had been built according to that vision. Unfortunately, he had only been half-right.

While the population of Vale had grown substantially since the Great War, being admitted into Beacon was no easy task. As a consequence, Beacon had way more classrooms and dorms than it knew what to do with. Even now, as students from the other three Academies came for the Vytal Festival, Beacon had room to spare.

That meant it was fairly easy for students to find empty classrooms in which to spend some time away from prying eyes.

The two lovers met after the sun fell. The moon shined through the window. Their kisses were passionate and eager. Their clothes had long since been discarded. The desk creaked under their combined efforts. They fought to contain their moans, to not make noise.

It was for naught as passion overwhelmed them again and again throughout the night until they had sated themselves.

"Wow." The single sound escaped Jaune's lips. He and Blake lay on the floor, her body draped across his, her naked breasts pressed against his chest. Her cat ears tickled his chin. Her bow had come loose during their activities. "That was…"

"Yes." Blake placed a quick peck on his cheek. A content hum left her lips. In spite of everything they had just done, Jaune blushed. "I think that was the best one yet."

"Well, you know what they say about practice," Jaune joked. One of his arms was wrapped around Blake's body. He still marveled at how she felt, impossibly soft skin and lithe muscles underneath.

"And we have had lots of practice." Blake nuzzled her head against him. Jaune found the gesture oddly cat-like but knew better than to point it out. "I liked what you did at the end."

"You did?" Jaune's face lit up. "I looked it up and thought to try it, but I wasn't sure. I wanted to bring it up before we started, but…"

"But we didn't do much talking," Blake finished for him. She had jumped him the moment the door closed behind them. Blake's smile gained a teasing edge. "And what's this I hear about you looking things up? Are you studying for this?"

Jaune refused to meet her gaze. "Maybe? It's not like there is anything wrong with it, right?"

Blake's soft, melodic laugh reached his ears. Her hand cupped Jaune's chin, forcing him to look at her. Her lips meet his in a slow kiss. "No. There is not," she said once their lips parted. Jaune smiled a dopey smile which Blake found herself liking.

"There are…" This time it was Blake who blushed. "There are a few things I would like to try out as well. If that is okay with you."

"It is!" Jaune's reply was instant. He blushed at how eager he sounded. "I mean, that sounds fine. We can try out new things."

"You have something extra to look forward to next time then." Blake's golden eyes gained a mischievous glint that sent Jaune's imagination running wild. Still, he forced himself to calm down. He had something important to ask

"Actually. Blake, there is something I wanted to ask you." Jaune swallowed. Even though he just had sex with her, he suddenly felt nervous. "There is a dance coming up and-"

"No."

The reply came instantly and without any hesitation. Jaune winced as he felt his pride take a hit. He quickly looked away. Seeing this, Blake's face softened. "It wouldn't be a good idea, Jaune."

Her hand drifted to his cheek, gently making his eyes meet hers. "What we have here, this is good. This is simple. You like this as much as I do."

"Of course, I do!" Even so, Jaune looked dejected. "It's just-"

"A date would only complicate things," Blake said. She moved her leg over his waist to straddle him. Jaune's pulse quickened as Blake presented her bare body to him once more. With the moonlight shining over her, she looked like a goddess. "Relationships can get messy. Trust me on that. I am not looking for one right now. Why can't we just enjoy what we have instead?"

Her lips descended on him. It was kiss full of want and promises of pleasure. In spite of the night's activities, Jaune felt himself hardening again. When the kiss ended, a thin line of drool hung between their lips. Blake caressed his cheek. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, dazed. "It's okay."

Jaune wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

Even so, a part of him could not help but feel he wasn't holding anything at all.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Some of you may have noticed I'm fudging the timeline a bit.**

 **In canon, the second semester is about to start when the food fight happens. The events that lead up to Painting the Town start right after. Here, although the second semester has been in session for a while, all that still hasn't happened.**

 **That means no scene with Blake arguing they should be doing something to stop the White Fang. Part of that is because she's in a different mental state in this fic. The other part is that with what we know of Blake's past now, her quest against the White Fang takes on a more personal nature (even more than before), and I'm trying to portray that. Here, Blake doesn't want to drag her team into something that she feels heavily responsible for.**

 **This also affects how she sees her relationship with Jaune. For her, it's strictly stress-relief and nothing more. It's all about the White Fang. There are very clear lines drawn in Blake's head. There's no room for emotional attachment. Unfortunately, Jaune doesn't know this.**

 **Jaune is a teenager with low self-esteem who is suddenly in a situation where a beautiful girl wants to have sex with him. He has no idea how that happened, but he does know it's amazing. Jaune is feeling good about himself because surely there must be something good about him if Blake wants him, right? He is very eager to please as a result, to do things right. Unlike Blake, there are no clear-cut lines for Jaune. He has nothing against getting emotionally closer to her. For him, asking Blake out is a natural thing to do.**

 **Naturally, things don't go well because they are both looking at things in very different ways.**

 **Damn, I ramble a lot, don't I?**

 **Anyway, 'till next Friday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Friday. Another chapter.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

The sun was up. The birds were chirping. It was a beautiful day by any measure. However, Jaune could not bring himself to appreciate it. His eyes were unable to tear themselves away from the scene in front of him. It was something he never thought he'd see.

"Say ah, Renny."

"Ah," Ren said in the most unmotivated way ever. Jaune knew better than to buy it. He could spot the faint traces of pink on Ren's cheeks. That slight blush had nothing to do with the heat. His teammate was clearly enjoying the attention.

Jaune smiled and shook his head.

Nora feeding Ren. Who'd have thought he'd ever see the day?

The weekend had arrived, and Team JNPR was having a picnic. Oobleck's horrible test had come and gone which meant they were done with tests for now. Although there was still a Grimm Studies test coming up next week, Port's tests were notoriously easy. There was no need to study hard for that one. Team JNPR felt they had more than earned a nice, relaxing time with just the four of them, hence the picnic.

Beacon had plenty of green space for the students to walk around and relax. Team JNPR was currently making good use of it. They were sitting over a blanket in the shade of a large, lush tree. A basket with drinks and tiny sandwiches lay between them.

To Jaune's surprise, Nora had been the one to cook this time. Usually, when someone needed to cook in Team JNPR, it was either him or Ren. Jaune was better at everyday meals while Ren had an unmatched mastery of sweets. There was no need for Nora to cook. However, she had insisted on it.

Jaune guessed the upcoming dance had something to do with that.

A flash of pain lanced his heart the moment he thought about the dance. Blake's rejection still hurt. Then again, maybe it was better this way. Maybe he shouldn't have asked Blake out to begin with. Unlike him, Blake seemed to know what she was doing, and she thought going to the dance was a bad idea. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was better to keep things simple.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy what he and Blake had, it was just…

What exactly did he and Blake have?

"Lien for your thoughts?" Pyrrha asked. She was sitting next to him, taking small, measured bites out of her sandwich.

"Just wondering who is going to ask who to the dance first," Jaune said, pointing at his teammates. He didn't bother lowering his voice. Ren and Nora were in their own little world right now.

Not together-together? Jaune snorted. Yeah, right.

Pyrrha giggled. "I think Nora is going to take the initiative." Unlike Jaune, she did lower her voice. Pyrrha was considerate like that. "Taking up the cooking duties was a way to psych herself up. She wanted to do something nice for Ren."

Jaune smiled as Ren's lips unintentionally touched Nora's fingers during a bite. While Ren showed no reaction to the unexpected contact–most likely due to immediately activating his Semblance–Nora flushed scarlet. As bold as Nora could be, she was unexpectedly shy about certain things, and by certain things, Jaune meant Ren.

"I don't know about that. Ren might surprise us."

"Interesting," Pyrrha said, smiling. "Shall we wager on it?"

Jaune shrugged. "Sure, why not? If you're right, I'll wear a dress to the dance."

Pyrrha almost choked. She probably hadn't been serious about making a bet. She hadn't expected him to accept, let alone choose such a harsh punishment for himself. However, Jaune grew up with seven sisters, five of them older than him. He was a veteran at these sorts of things.

"I see," Pyrrha said. Her competitive streak prevented her from backing down. "What shall be my punishment if you win then?"

"You will…" Jaune trailed off. He couldn't think of anything. Mostly because there wasn't anything mean he'd like to do to Pyrrha. Coming up with punishments for his sisters was easy, but this was Pyrrha. She was too nice to punish. "…owe me a favor?"

As soon as Jaune said it, he knew that wasn't right. It was way too open-ended. He opened his mouth to take it back.

"Okay," Pyrrha accepted before he could speak. Jaune gaped at her.

"Really?"

"I trust you," Pyrrha said with so much confidence Jaune couldn't help but feel touched. He looked at his partner, unsure of how to reply.

"Yes!" Once again, Jaune was interrupted before he could speak, this time by a loud, happy voice. Pyrrha and Jaune turned in time to see a student catch another in a flying hug. A few students around the pair clapped. Yet another successful invitation to the dance, it seemed. As the dance grew closer, that sort of overly dramatic confession was becoming more and more common. This was the third one Jaune had seen this week.

Almost against his will, Jaune found his gaze drifting back to Nora and Ren. The two were lost in a world of their own. They were not holding each other. They were not kissing. Only the barest touches of skin passed between them as one fed the other, yet their eyes spoke of an immeasurable closeness. Jaune felt something uncomfortable rise within him as he looked at the two of them.

It took him a few moments to realize he was jealous.

Not because he had feelings for either of them. Of course not. They were his friends. Nothing more. Sure, his eyes had strayed once or twice. Nora bounced around way too much sometimes, and Ren was prettier than any man had a right to be. Still, Jaune only saw them as friends.

Rather, Jaune was jealous because they were close to each other in a way he had never experienced with anyone.

He wanted that. He wanted to experience that feeling with someone.

"Jaune," Pyrrha's voice stopped his thoughts from taking a darker turn. "Are you okay?"

"What? No, I mean, yes. I'm fine. Don't worry," Jaune was quick to reassure her. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha insisted. That was when Jaune knew he hadn't been nearly as good at hiding his feelings as he thought he had been. Pyrrha wouldn't be pushing it if she wasn't worried. "You have been a bit distant lately."

"Was I? I didn't notice." Jaune took a deep breath as he considered what to say. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I guess I've just been thinking about the dance. Still haven't figured out who to ask and all."

He felt guilty for lying to Pyrrha, but this secret wasn't his alone.

For some reason, Pyrrha looked surprised. "You aren't going to ask Weiss?"

"What? Weiss? No. Why would you think that?"

"N-No reason," Pyrrha immediately replied. Still, even as she said it, Jaune understood why she would think that. He hadn't exactly made his crush on the white-haired girl a secret.

When was the last time he had done anything about it?

When was the last time Weiss had crossed his mind? Ever since that night, all Jaune had been able to think about was Blake. The surrealness of the situation. The way she felt against him. Her taste. Her moans. He and Blake had done so many things, things that had never featured in his childhood dreams of saving princesses from dragons.

Compared to that, his crush on Weiss suddenly didn't seem so important anymore.

Had his feelings for Weiss been so shallow?

It was a bit uncomfortable to think about.

It wasn't like he had a shot with Weiss in the first place, Jaune told himself. Then again, did he have a shot with Blake? At least with Weiss, their roles had been clear. In his head, if nowhere else. He was the hopeless suitor. She was the faraway princess. Heiress, in her case.

Back then, Jaune had honestly believed that if he managed to ask Weiss out in just the right way, then maybe she would look at him differently. Maybe she would see something good in him and say yes. That hadn't worked out. He had only succeeded in annoying her. In hindsight, he had just been trying to look for his fantasies in reality.

The situation with Blake was different. She was not some distant fantasy. What they had was real, and because it was real, the distance was all the more daunting.

Because they were having sex, and she had said no.

What could Jaune say to that? What objection could he raise? She liked him enough to have sex with him but had no intention of dating him. Jaune couldn't wrap his head around it, but at the same time, he had no choice but to accept it. That was apparently the boundary of their relationship.

Could what they had even be called a relationship?

In a sense, it was because they were having sex. However, that was all there was to it. Just what did he know about Blake? She was a great fighter. She was a faunus. She used to be part of the White Fang. She clearly liked dressing in white and black, and she liked to read.

Those were all things Jaune had known before it had all begun.

Jaune had since learned there was a lot of passion hidden under her quiet exterior. He had also learned Blake could be quite playful when she wanted to be. However, that was where Jaune's knowledge ended. He didn't know something as simple as her birthday, or even what type of books she liked to read. He didn't know her most basic likes and dislikes.

He didn't know much about Blake at all.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Jaune caught a glimpse of Team RWBY in the distance. They were returning from a day out. Ruby and Yang were laughing about something. A red-faced Weiss berated them. Off to the side, Blake watched everything with a small smile on her face.

At that moment, Jaune couldn't help but think that Blake looked more at home with Team RWBY than she ever had in his arms.

xXx

As usual, the two lovers met at night. As usual, they did so in an empty classroom. However, things were different this time. As Blake moved towards Jaune, fully intent on starting the night's activities, Jaune took a step back.

"Wait," he said, holding his hands out in front of him. He looked nervous. "Blake, I think we need to talk."

"Talk?" Blake echoed.

Talking was not something Blake had been expecting when she walked into the room, and to say she was displeased by it would be an understatement.

The last of the rumors she had been pursuing ended up leading nowhere. Most of her sources had dried up over the past week. The news, in particular, were being unhelpful. Over time, the novelty of the Dust thefts had worn off. As a result, they no longer received as much coverage by the media as they used to.

When the news did cover the thefts, they tended to focus on Roman Torchwick instead of the White Fang. To a degree, Blake understood it. The flamboyant thief was more attractive to the general public than a group of masked freedom-fighters born from the racism present in the system. No one wanted to face the harsh truths. The Kingdoms needed to keep their people away from negativity. Even so, it was another obstacle in her quest.

There were a few old hideouts Blake could investigate and some former members she could check up on. Blake had planned on doing so today but ended up having to put her plans on hold. Ruby wanted the team to have a day out, and Blake had gone along with it. She could have declined, but declining would have caused her team to look into what she was doing. Blake couldn't have that.

Best case scenario, they would try to stop her out of misguided concern. Worst case scenario, they would try to help her. If at all possible, Blake would rather avoid that mess. There was no need for her friends to involve themselves with the White Fang.

Thus, Blake had spent the whole day with her team. She had to pretend she was having a good time, that nothing was wrong even though the White Fang was out there doing who knows what. Blake knew Ruby only wanted the team to have a good time, but for her, it had been a trying day.

With all the pressure mounting on her shoulders, Blake had been counting the minutes until her next encounter with Jaune. She had been looking forward to it. They would have a good time. She would relax and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, she would be able to return to her duty with a clear head. That was what Blake wanted.

Blake did not want to talk. Talking was the last thing on her mind.

Reality, however, seemed intent on not letting her have her way today.

"Okay," Blake forced herself to say. "I am listening. What do you want to talk about?"

Blake had an inkling as to what this was about. His attempt to ask her out was still fresh on her mind. Blake felt a flash of irritation. She had no time for dances or dates. She didn't want a relationship. Blake wanted what they already had. What they had was good. Despite her initial concerns, she enjoyed their arrangement, and she knew he was definitely enjoying himself. It showed in the way he pleased her. In the way he roughly took her when she got him in just the right mood.

Blake absentmindedly rubbed her thighs together and wished Jaune could get this over already.

"Blake," Jaune began. His voice was hesitant, nervous. It was as if he had a big speech planned in his head and now couldn't remember a thing about it. "I just… I want to know just what are we supposed to be."

Blake took a moment to answer that, not because she needed it, but because she knew Jaune wanted to see her give his question some thought. "We," she began, "are two people having fun. Without unnecessary drama or complications. I'd like to think we have succeeded at that. I certainly hope you haven't found our meetings a chore."

"No! That's not it!" Jaune replied instantly. He sighed. "Blake, you are out of my league. I know that. You are beautiful. You're smart. You're an amazing fighter. Being with you, it's like a dream sometimes. A wild, crazy, amazing dream I don't want to wake up from."

"Then what's the problem?" Blake took a step forward. Jaune didn't step back. She placed a hand on his arm. "If we both like this, what is there to talk about?"

Amber eyes met blue. The lust between them was undeniable. For a moment, Jaune looked like he was about to give in. The moment passed. Jaune looked away. "We need to talk because," Jaune took a deep, shuddering breath, "that's not enough."

He looked back at her with sad eyes. "I know I'm being selfish, but I want more than this. I want someone I can be close to, and we… we aren't that."

"We are close," Blake protested.

"You mean we have sex," Jaune countered. "We have sex. We talk about how good the sex was. Then we agree to have more sex. Blake, we meet almost every other night, and I don't think I have learned a single thing about you during all that time. This is going to sound crazy, but I feel further away from you now than I was before. Does that even make sense?"

Something shined in Jaune's eyes, but he blinked it away.

"I guess...I want something more than this. Turns out, I'm not cool enough for casual sex." Jaune chuckled nervously. "I want a real relationship. I want dates and picnics and all that other corny stuff. I can't ask that of you. You don't want that. I get it. But that's also why I can't keep doing this anymore."

Jaune sighed, a weak smile on his face. "I guess I should have known I'd ruin this eventually."

Blake did not answer immediately. She wanted to, but she controlled herself. The sudden tightness of her face was disguised by the darkness of the room. Even so, she couldn't deny part of her was angry.

He couldn't keep doing this anymore? Did he not realize how many things she had to worry about? The stress she was under every day?

"You don't mean that." Blake began to move her hand to his chest, but Jaune stepped away from her.

"Yes, I do," Jaune said sadly. He moved to walk past her. Out of the room. Out of their relationship.

A part of Blake wondered if maybe that was for the best. Jaune wanted something she was not willing to give. Perhaps, it was better to end things now before they got complicated in the future.

Another louder part of Blake reminded her that her investigation had hit a dead end. The White Fang's crimes were not going to stop until she did something about them. If Jaune walked out right now, she would be left with no convenient way to deal with her stress. She'd slowly return to how she was before their arrangement began. Her team would notice. They would try to be helpful.

She couldn't have that. She needed her relationship with Jaune to continue.

It wasn't like she could just replace Jaune. Part of the reason why she had gone to him had been because she knew he'd be discreet. He hadn't told anyone about their first time, so she knew he wouldn't talk about this. He was a known quantity. He was reliable.

If not Jaune, then who? Sun? No. Sun had not made his intentions towards her a secret. Something like this would just make him get the wrong idea.

It had to be Jaune. That was all there was to it. Somewhere along the way, her sessions with him had become a necessary part of her routine. She had no intention of going back to how things were before.

Almost without thinking, Blake's hand reached for Jaune. She roughly grabbed him by the shoulder, making him turn to face her.

"Wait!"

The word left her mouth with barely any thought to it. Jaune looked at her wide-eyed, not having expected the sudden action. Good. She had his attention. She just needed to keep it.

"Wait," Blake repeated. "Jaune, do you know why I started asking you to meet me?"

"I did wonder sometimes, but I guess I was afraid to ask," Jaune admitted. Seeing that Jaune wasn't about to run out anytime soon, Blake lessened the strength of her grip. Still, she did not let him go.

"I have been investigating the White Fang since the beginning of the semester," Blake said.

"The White Fang? Is this about the Dust thefts?" Blake nodded, causing Jaune to look at her in confusion. "Why? I mean, I know you have... history with them, but that's what the police is supposed to be for, isn't it?"

"The police?" Try as she might, Blake could not hide her derision. "The police haven't gotten the job done. I couldn't stand by and do nothing." She frowned. "However, as the days went by, I started becoming obsessed with it. I wasn't eating. I wasn't sleeping. My grades were dropping. I could barely think straight."

"You did look kind of sick early in the semester," Jaune said. His brow furrowed as he recalled those days. "But what does that have to do with me? With us?"

"Like I said, I wasn't feeling well," Blake replied. "I had all this stress inside of me. I needed to find a way to let it all out before it consumed me. That's when I thought about it. The last time I had been fully relaxed was when-"

"When we were together," Jaune finished for her.

"It was a crazy idea," Blake admitted. Just saying it made her feel a little embarrassed. "I know how it sounds, but it worked. Thanks to you, I was able to handle things better, return to a semblance of normality."

Jaune did not look happy. "Is that what I am to you then? Just a stress reliever?"

"It's not like that," Blake hurried to say, placing her free hand on his other arm.

"Well, what is then? Because it sure sounds like it!" Jaune tried to shake her grip off, but she didn't let him.

"I was losing control, and you helped me regain it," Blake said. "My team is no longer worried about me. I am not flunking classes. I can look into the White Fang without losing my mind. Without you, I would have probably done something stupid already."

Like trying to sneak into a rally. That was just asking for trouble given who she was. Still, Jaune did not look satisfied.

"Why do you even have to go after the White Fang?" He asked. "Why is it so important?"

"I need to understand why the White Fang is doing this," Blake replied. The answer came to her automatically. It was something she had asked herself many times before. Couldn't she ignore the White Fang and continue to live as a student? The answer was always the same. She couldn't.

She wasn't allowed to.

"The White Fang I belonged to wasn't like this. I need to know what's causing them to steal so much Dust."

"Blake, they are criminals," Jaune said, exasperated. "Why wouldn't they steal Dust?"

"It's not that simple!"

"Then why are they stealing Dust?!"

"Because not everyone who wants to be a hero gets fake transcripts and lies his way into Beacon!" Blane snapped.

Jaune flinched as if struck.

"I am sorry," she said, immediately guilty. "I shouldn't have brought that up."

"No, it's… it's fine." Jaune said, but it was clear it wasn't. Any semblance of anger had fled from his body in the aftermath of her words. Only shame remained after his deepest secret had been used against him like that.

He wasn't arguing against her anymore.

"It happens, you know?" Blake said in a softer tone. "Someone sees all the injustices faunus go through. They join the White Fang, thinking they will make a difference. Before they know it, they are in too deep and cannot get out."

"Is that what happened to you?"

Blake shook her head. "It was different for me. You could say I was born into it. I watched it change and did nothing. That's why I need to be the one who takes care of this."

"You don't need to do it alone," Jaune said. "Last time I checked, you had a team."

"It's not their place." Blake rejected the notion instantly. "Do you know what would happen if someone like Weiss was captured by the White Fang? What they would do to her? Is that what you want?"

Jaune paled. "No, that's not what I'm saying!"

Bringing up his former crush was a bit low. Blake was willing to admit that. However, it had helped derail his focus.

"That's what would happen if they try to involve themselves in this" Blake said, moving closer to him. "The only one who can help me with this is you. Don't leave me alone, Jaune. I need you."

Blake's hands drifted up to Jaune's neck, pulling him closer. Her lips met his in a quick kiss. Her golden eyes stared into his. "I need you to believe in me."

"I do," Jaune said. Blake's lips met his again. This time the kiss was longer. Her body pressed against his. She could already feel the reluctance fading from his body.

"I am glad," Blake said, favoring him with a smile. "It is good to know I have you on my side."

Jaune didn't reply, but he also didn't push her away.

"About the dance," Blake said. "I will think about it."

As a flash of hope appeared in Jaune's eyes, Blake felt his body fully relax against hers. Their lips met for a third time

After that, there was no more talking for a long time.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **This chapter was hard.**

 **Some parts were easy like Ren and Nora. One advantage of fanfiction writing is that you already know the characters. I don't need to do much to make you believe that they're into each other and that they're super close. It's already obvious in the show. Blake and Jaune, however, were hard.**

 **Is Jaune capable of being okay with casual sex? I'd say it depends on the circumstances. Here, not so much, and Blake is not exactly happy about it. You have no idea how much I had to go over that last conversation, but it was necessary (even if I'm still not satisfied with it). It's supposed to mirror one conversation in particular. Hope that came through. Oh well. In many ways, this is the most important chapter of the fic. It's also kind of the halfway point.**

 **There are no brakes now.**


	4. Chapter 4

**And here we go.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

Pete the Rat moved through the streets of Vale with cautious steps.

Contrary to what his nickname led many to believe, Pete was not a rat faunus. He was a pig faunus, not that anyone would know it just by looking at him. He was very skinny, and his curly tail was easily hidden under a pair of baggy pants. Unlike other faunus with tails, he did not need to modify his clothes to be comfortable.

People called him Pete the Rat not because of what he was, but rather because of what he did. Pete was an informant. He kept his ear on the ground for rumors and sold them to whoever was interested. Gangs. Police. Private eyes. He didn't discriminate. Lien was Lien, and Lien was good. It was hard to balance having no particular alliance to anyone without ending with a bullet through his forehead, but Pete managed. Most of the time, at least.

Today, however, Pete had the feeling something was wrong.

For the twentieth time that day, Pete looked over his shoulder. For the twentieth time that day, Pete found no signs of anyone following him.

Still, Pete trusted his instincts. They had kept him alive throughout the years. If his instincts told him he was being watched, then he was being watched.

Pete walked around the city and did his best to blend in with the crowds. After turning around a corner, he suddenly ducked into a restaurant and rushed into the kitchens. A couple of waiters tried to stop him, but Pete was already out through the back door before they could finish a sentence.

He looked around, breathing heavily. He was in an empty alley. There was no one about. Good. Now he just needed to take a cab, make it drive around in circles, and then take another cab before going home. It never hurt to be careful.

The moment Pete took a step toward the street, someone grabbed him and shoved him against the wall.

"Don't. Move!" The person hissed. The voice was female. That was all Pete was able to tell. A hand painfully twisted his arm behind his back. The other kept his head in place, preventing him from looking at his attacker. A blade brushed against his neck. Pete froze.

"I need information," the female said.

"O-Okay," Pete said, pale and all too aware of the cold steel pressed against his skin. "I-I can do that."

"The White Fang," the female said. "Tell me about them."

Pete somehow managed to pale even more. "L-Look, I don't know what you've heard, but I swear I-ack!"

Pete stopped talking as he felt the blade dig deeper into his skin. A single drop of blood trailed down his neck.

"Don't. Lie."

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Pete cried out. "I'll talk! I'll talk. Just please don't kill me."

"The White Fang. Tell me what you know about them!"

"Atlas! They smuggled something from Atlas the other week. That's all I know! I swear!"

"Something from Atlas?"

"Something big," Pete talked as fast as he could. "I don't know what it is. I swear. I just know it came from Atlas!"

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!" Pete cried. Panicked tears fell down his cheeks. "Something big came from Atlas. That's it! I don't get too close to those crazies. Please! Please! Don't kill me!"

For a moment, there was silence. Pete closed his eyes, waiting for his impending doom.

He was let go instead.

Pete gasped as he was roughly shoved to the ground. Groaning, he looked around but found no one. The alley was empty again. Shivering, the man quickly got up.

He ran out and never once looked back.

xXx

From the roof, the amber eyes of Blake Belladonna watched as Pete ran away.

A part of her felt guilty for what she had done. She hadn't planned on seriously hurting him, and she hadn't done that. Still, she had drawn blood. She had terrified that man to get what she wanted. Her actions just now reminded her a little too much of what had led her to leave the White Fang. Blake hadn't liked what the White Fang was becoming. She hadn't liked what the White Fang was making her become.

Memories of burned down stores and stolen cargo flashed through her mind. Back then, she had believed she was doing the right thing. It was okay because those people were taking advantage of her fellow faunus. Adam had told her that, and like an idiot, she had believed him. Arson. Assault. Terrorism. All those were fine because their cause was a noble one. It was justice.

This wasn't the same, Blake told herself. It wasn't the same. That man was a criminal. He wasn't some innocent bystander. Besides, it had been necessary. She needed information on the White Fang, and the man had provided it.

It had been worth it. Now, she had something to go on.

Something from Atlas.

Blake frowned. That really wasn't much. It was vague enough to be infuriating, yet too important to ignore. Along with Mistral, Atlas was one of the kingdoms where White Fang activity was the fiercest. The White Fang in Atlas regularly went up against SDC security. They were strong and experienced, nothing at all like the rookies she and Sun fought at the docks.

If reinforcements from Atlas had arrived, things in Vale could only get worse.

Atlas was the technological capital of the world. They had better droids, better armor, and better guns than the other kingdoms. Had the White Fang brought some sort of special weapon from Atlas? Did it have something to do with all the Dust they had stolen?

Blake frowned as she realized she was biting her nail. The black-haired girl put her hand down and started making her way back to Beacon, jumping from roof to roof.

Something from Atlas, Dust thefts, and Roman Torchwick.

How did all the pieces fit together?

Torwchick was there because he was good at stealing things. The White Fang was stealing large amounts of Dust. They needed his expertise. It was a reasonable assumption, yet Blake's mind railed against it. She knew Adam. There was no way he would agree to work with a human, no matter how useful he might be.

However, for the White Fang to be working with Torchwick so openly meant Adam had okayed it. There was no other explanation. Adam had allowed someone like Torchwick to hold authority over members of the White Fang. It made no sense to Blake, yet there was no other alternative.

Blake took a deep breath as she put that mess aside for now. It didn't matter why or how they were working together. What mattered was what they were doing. They had large quantities of Dust, and now they had something from Atlas as well.

Something big was going to happen.

That, at least, Blake was certain of. It had started out as a possibility, but she had grown more and more sure of it with each Dust robbery. These were not just attacks to raise people's awareness of the faunus like they had done in the past. The amount of Dust stolen in Vale was ridiculous. Prices of Dust had gone up all over the city. By Blake's estimates, the White Fang had stolen enough Dust for the Vale branch to function for a year and still have some left over.

Yet they kept stealing.

As much as Blake wished to believe it was a ploy to hurt human economy, she knew Adam would never go for something like that. Besides, the scarcity was proving profitable for the SDC. The White Fang was stealing from small and big distributors alike. However, small distributors were less capable of recovering from the attacks, leading the SDC to gain a tighter grip on the market. Adam would never accept a plan that would allow the SDC to profit.

There had to be something planned that would make it all worth it, some kind of grand end goal. That would fit with Adam's style.

As Blake reached the bullhead station and waited for her ride to Beacon, her mind couldn't help but imagine the worst. The White Fang could do a lot of damage with all the stolen Dust. Even in its refined form, Dust could be highly volatile. If they used all that Dust to make explosives, the damage could be devasting.

Blake looked around. Her foot tapped against the floor as she waited for the bullhead to arrive. As the seconds passed, her tapping grew in intensity.

Why was it taking so long?

There were many people around the station talking and going about their day. There always were. Vale was a very densely populated city.

One bomb was all it would take.

One massive bomb or a multitude of smaller bombs planted all over the city. Either option would cause an enormous loss of lives. It was horrible to even consider. The White Fang would really be nothing but terrorists after something like that, but to Blake's horror, she couldn't deny it was possible.

The police hadn't been able to stop the White Fang so far. There was no guarantee they would be able to stop whatever the White Fang was planning. If what the White Fang had smuggled from Atlas was really some type of bomb…

Blake imagined the city of Vale burning, the people crying and screaming.

No!

Her fists clenched at her sides. Her nails dug into her palms. If not for her Aura, they would have drawn blood. Could she have stopped this? Maybe if she had talked with Adam in time? Maybe if she hadn't sided with him and Sienna over her parents? Could she have stopped the White Fang from straying from the path?

Like every time those thoughts appeared, Blake tried to banish them.

She couldn't waste time dwelling on what-ifs. She had a tragedy to stop. That was all that mattered now. The White Fang was her responsibility. Her father had been at its founding. She may have let his legacy down, but she'd be damned if she let anyone twist it further. She would stop this. She had to!

And why wasn't the damn bullhead here yet!

Patience, Blake reminded herself, but it was for naught. She already had a headache. She did her best to ignore it. She needed to focus. She'd have to go over her maps again. Try to look if there was anything she missed.

At this rate, she might have to infiltrate a rally. It was not a pleasant thought. Not only had Torchwick seen her face, but she was also fairly well-known in the White Fang on account of her heritage and being Adam's partner for many years. The odds of her being spotted were high. Regardless, she might have to risk it at this rate.

The bullhead chose that moment to arrive. The moment its doors opened, Blake dashed inside. She bit one of her nails as she waited for it to take off. Her hands drifted to her scroll, and she quickly sent a message to Jaune. She need time to do some research, so she made their appointment a little later than usual. It might end up being slightly inconvenient for him, but Blake couldn't bring herself to care about that at that moment.

He'd have to make time for her.

xXx

Jaune stared at Blake's message for a moment before swiping away the screen. He sighed and let himself fall back on his bed. For once, he didn't need to worry about Nora looking over his shoulder. In a rare turn of events, Jaune had the room all to himself. Pyrrha had gone out early in the morning and hadn't come back yet. She was in a meeting with her agent or something. Ren and Nora had vanished not long after.

He was kind of bored.

For a moment, Jaune toyed with the idea of visiting Team RWBY. They were just right across the hall. He and Ruby were good friends. Yang liked him well enough, and Weiss… well, she seemed to tolerate him ever since he stopped flirting with her.

If he went to Team RWBY's room right now, Ruby would greet him cheerfully and drag him inside. They'd probably end up playing video games or something. She would bring out snacks but wouldn't share her cookies. Yang would join them. Weiss would look at them with a long-suffering expression.

It would be fun.

But Blake would be there too.

The smile that had been forming on Jaune's face faded away. Blake. Every time he thought about her, his mind ended up twisted in knots. He kept thinking back to their argument that night. Even though they had met many times since, he couldn't put the matter aside.

Blake had told him she needed him.

No one had ever said that to him before. Not his sisters. Not his parents. Not his team. Jaune wanted to be able to respond to that sentiment. He couldn't help himself. He didn't want to let Blake down, not after she said those words.

However, was that really right?

There was a part of Jaune that had hoped things would get better after they had that talk. They hadn't. If anything, he and Blake talked less now than they did before. Blake would kiss him and touch him with a ferocity that surprised him, yet once they were done, she would retreat into herself, seeming more distant than ever before, her mind clearly elsewhere.

She was thinking about the White Fang.

Blake had sounded so sure of herself, so passionate when she said she was the one who needed to deal with the White Fang. That night, Jaune had believer her. However, Jaune was beginning to have doubts.

If he told Team RWBY about what Blake was doing, they would find some way to help her. They knew her way better than he did. Jaune had no illusions about that. They would surely find a way to reach her. However, he wasn't doing that. Instead, he was doing what Blake needed of him, and by doing so, he was helping her go against the White Fang alone.

Was Jaune doing it because he wanted to be useful to Blake or was he just letting things continue because Blake told him she would consider going to the dance with him?

It was not a comfortable thought. Jaune knew he wasn't exactly the best guy around. He wouldn't have gotten fake transcripts otherwise. Still, he did consider himself to be a decent person. Was he failing Blake just because he was holding on to the vain hope she would go out with him?

That wasn't the type of person Jaune wanted to be.

"Hello again!"

Pyrrha's voice was a welcome break from his dark musings. Jaune sat up as Pyrrha closed the door behind her. "Looks like you win the bet," she said.

Jaune blinked and cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"

"The one about Ren and Nora," Pyrrha clarified as she took her jacket off and neatly folded it before putting it in her dresser. "He asked her to the dance."

"You saw them?"

"I heard her," Pyrrha corrected. She was smiling. "Everyone within four blocks heard her. I didn't think anyone could reach that volume without using a speaker, but Nora always surprises me."

Jaune could almost imagine it. Nora was already hyperactive by default. His poor ears wouldn't have been able to take the volume generated by an ecstatic Nora.

"She also sent me a text," Pyrrha said, holding up her scroll. Jaune leaned forward and squinted to see. He counted about two dozen emoticons and twice as many exclamation points. Yep, his ears definitely wouldn't have survived. He smiled.

"About time," Jaune said. Seriously, just about everyone thought Ren and Nora were a couple already. It was high time they went on an actual date. He was going to have to congratulate Ren next time he saw him.

"So, have you given any thought as to what you want?" Pyrrha asked as she sat next to him.

"Huh?"

"The bet," Pyrrha reminded him. "I owe you a favor now, remember?"

Jaune hadn't. With everything that had happened with Blake, the bet had completely slipped from his mind, not that he had been too interested in it to begin with. "Actually, I haven't put much thought into it. I guess there's nothing I want to make you do." For some reason, Jaune had the feeling that was the wrong thing to say. Pyrrha's frown confirmed it. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Pyrrha quickly said, shaking her head. There were traces of red on her cheeks. "I was just thinking about… your hoodie!"

"My hoodie?" Jaune looked down. He was not wearing his armor which meant Pumpkin Pete was there for all to see. "What about it?"

"It's just…" Pyrrha seemed at a loss of what to say for a moment. "If I am not mistaken, that is a Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Pumpkin Pete's Hoodie."

"It is," Jaune confirmed.

"I appeared in Pumpkin Pete's shortly after that promotion ran. I was just thinking how odd it is that you have that hoodie, but you didn't know who I was the day we met."

"That is weird," Jaune admitted. "Even more so because Pumpkin Pete's was my favorite cereal growing up."

He bought fifty boxes just to get his hands on his precious hoodie. His sisters told him there was no way he was going to get it. When he did get it, they had pointed out he shouldn't have asked for such a large size. They had said there was no way he would grow into it. He had shown them, though.

"The cereal is not very good for you, though."

"I know." Jaune chuckled. "It doesn't even taste that great compared to other cereals."

Pyrrha looked confused. "Then why-"

"Why is it my favorite?" Jaune guessed. She nodded. "Promise you won't laugh? I just really like Pumpkin Pete."

"The mascot?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, the guy was always doing his best to get some cereal. No matter how many times those mean kids stopped him, he didn't give up. One commercial after the next, he just kept trying."

To say he sympathized would be an understatement.

"I thought that was really cool. Never giving up like that."

Pyrrha smiled. "That sounds like you."

"Guilty as charged." If there was one thing Jaune would say he was good at, it was being stubborn. He wouldn't have gotten into Beacon otherwise. Sure, he needed to break the rules in the end, but he had done it. His dream of becoming a huntsman was now firmly within his reach.

However, was that always the way to go?

Not giving up was something that sounded good, but it had never worked out for Pumpkin Pete. It also hadn't worked for him with Weiss. All he had managed to do was annoy her. It was only now that he had stopped flirting with her that the two were sort of starting to get along.

Maybe there was something to be said for stopping.

He had tried to stop things with Blake when he thought there wasn't any chance of things moving forward. However, the moment she had put that alternative on the table, he had caved. Maybe because there was a part of him that thought he had a chance. Maybe because there was a part of him that hadn't wanted to give up on her.

Maybe it was time to do so. For both their sakes.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, worried by his sudden silence. Jaune shook his head. He tried to force a smile, but it wasn't very good.

"It's nothing. Nothing important. I think you just helped me figure something out. That's all."

xXx

Blake was almost an hour late to her meeting with Jaune. She kept telling herself she needed just a few more minutes, that she was on the verge of figuring something out. She hadn't been.

Unsurprisingly, Jaune was already there. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The room was dark, but that had never been an obstacle for Blake. She could see the irritation on his face.

"We can't keep doing this anymore."

Yes, he was definitely irritated.

"I am sorry, Jaune. I didn't mean to be so late." She moved closer to him. "It won't happen again."

Her hand reached out to touch him, but Jaune moved away. "This is not about you being late, Blake. I mean all of this." Jaune's finger went back and forth between them. "We can't keep doing this anymore."

"We already talked about this, Jaune." Blake moved closer to Jaune once more, and this time, Jaune backed into the desk. Her hand touched his chest.

"Yeah, but I don't think we made the right choice." Jaune grabbed her hand and gently pushed it away. She frowned. "Blake, I mean it."

Blake forced herself to calm down, but it was not an easy task. She had come here for one thing. It had been a very stressful day for her, and Jaune was not being helpful. He was wasting both their times with this argument. They both knew how this ended. It ended the same way every time Jaune expressed doubts about their relationship. "We are not doing anything wrong, Jaune. We are just relieving some stress in the same way many people around the world do all the time. Don't pretend you don't enjoy it."

She moved even closer to him to prove her point. Her breasts pressed against his chest. She looked at Jaune with a knowing smile when she felt the beginnings of an erection in his pants.

"Of course, I enjoy it!" Jaune said, squeezing himself away from her. "You are gorgeous. I can't not enjoy it!"

"Then what's the problem! I enjoy it! You enjoy it! Why ruin something good?!"

"Because it's not good for you!" Jaune shouted back. His voice probably echoed across the hall outside, but there was no one around at this time of the night. "It's not good for me either."

"Is this about the dance?" Blake asked. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I told you I was going to think about it."

Not that she had done much thinking about it. A simple dance did not take precedence over stopping the White Fang. She wished Jaune could understand that. She had no time to waste on meaningless things.

"This is not about the dance," Jaune said. "I mean, maybe, but not in that way. It was wrong of me to keep this going because I thought I could maybe get a date out of this. That's not me helping you. That's just letting you put yourself in danger."

"I'm not in danger. I'm fine!"

"You are hunting the White Fang on your own. There is no way you're fine! We can't keep doing this."

"I thought you said you were on my side!"

"I am!"

"Then why are you turning your back on me now?" Did he not understand how important this was? What was at stake? No, of course, he didn't. Like most people in Beacon, Jaune didn't know the real world. He hadn't known cruelty. He just knew the cushy life inside the kingdoms most humans did.

"I am not turning my back on you. I'm trying to help you." Jaune looked like he wanted to say more, but Blake cut him off. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. Shock locked Jaune's muscles in place. Blake forced her tongue inside his mouth, plundering it with wild abandon. Her hands roamed over his body.

"If you want to help, do it like this!" Blake hissed before once again sealing his lips with hers. She could feel the tension inside her body bubbling to the surface. It begged to be released. Blake knew it was only a matter of time. The promise tempted her thirst. Passion guided her motions.

Yes, it was always like this. Jaune would hesitate. She would convince him, and they would spend the night together like always.

"Blake, wait!" Jaune managed to get out between kisses, but Blake would not be deterred.

"Don't be stubborn," she said, shoving Jaune on the desk. She ended up using too much force, however, and both of them fell to the floor with her straddling him. She instinctively started grinding her hips against his. Lust filled her body in anticipation for the night's activities. She purred when she felt his erection. "I knew it."

Her lips met Jaune's again. She wanted this. She needed this. It was just a matter of making Jaune remember how much he wanted it as well. Jaune tried to move his arms, but she forced them down. Really, why did he have to be so difficult?

"Stop!"

For an instant, a bright light filled the room as Jaune shoved Blake away with far more strength than he had before. Blake hit the floor a few feet away, dazed.

When she looked at Jaune, Blake saw nervousness, confusion, and fear on his face. There was not a trace of passion, not a hint of the lust she had grown so used to seeing in him. Why did he look like that? Why was he looking at her like that?

Blake took a step forward.

Jaune flinched.

What? No, why would he flinch away from her? They had just been having fun. Like always. He was just being a little difficult this time. That was all. She was just trying to make him remember how much he enjoyed it. She had been a little more forceful than usual, but that was because he was being so stubborn. That was all. It was supposed to end like it always had.

She hadn't… she hadn't… No. No.

Nononono.

A horrified expression fell upon Blake's face as the truth dawned on her. No one spoke. The only sound that came from the room were Jaune's heavy gasps as he slowly backed away from her, almost huddling against the wall.

She needed to say something. Anything. This hadn't… she wasn't. It hadn't been like that. It hadn't!

Blake fled.

She did the only thing she could think of and ran as fast as her legs could take her. She fled leaving Jaune alone, confused, and afraid.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Yep. That happened.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I have to say, you guys took last chapter way better than I was expecting.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

Blake Belladonna ran.

Her mind was in turmoil, yet she did not make a single sound. Her form blurred through the dark, empty hallways of Beacon. Blake didn't care where she was going. She just needed to get away. Away from that room. Away from her crime. Away from everything. She needed to breathe.

Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe?

Outside. She needed to go outside. Blake dashed down the hallway and up the stairs. Up and up she went until she reached the top.

The night's air hit her face. It was hot. Why was it so hot? Why was it so uncomfortable? Deep breaths. She needed to take deep breaths. She needed to do something. Anything!

Blake's vision swayed. Why did she suddenly feel so sick? Why did nothing make sense? Her mouth opened but no words came out. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? Thoughts and feelings clashed in her mind, turning it into mush. Without even thinking it, all her feelings rushed out in the only way they could.

Blake screamed.

She fell to her knees, panting. Her hair fell over her face.

What had happened?

What had she been doing back there?

What had she almost done?

No. Blake shook her head as she wrapped her arms around herself. It hadn't been that. She hadn't done that. It hadn't been like that! She had just…It had just…

It had just been sex.

That was it. It had always been just sex. Jaune argued and tried to back out, but it was hardly the first time. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy what they did. He had given in once. He would do it again. Blake was just speeding up the process. That had been it.

She would kiss him, and he would kiss her back. They'd have fun for the rest of the night and return to their rooms with many happy memories. That was what was supposed to happen.

Except it hadn't.

Jaune hadn't been enjoying himself. Jaune had really wanted to end things. She just hadn't taken him seriously. She had been too absorbed in herself to notice. She hadn't paid any attention to what he was saying. She hadn't cared.

She had a good reason, Blake immediately told herself.

She had a cause.

 _"Do you want me to just abandon our cause? Like your parents?"_

Blake froze.

No, she wasn't like that. That had been Adam trying to use her parents to guilt her, to make her hesitate. She hadn't done that to Jaune!

 _"Because not everyone who wants to be a hero gets fake transcripts and lies his way into Beacon!"_

No.

That was wrong! She hadn't tried to manipulate him! She just…

 _"Do you know what would happen if someone like Weiss was captured by the White Fang? What they would do to her? Is that what you want?"_

Stop.

 _"I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought them up."_

 _"I am sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."_

It wasn't like that! She wasn't like _him_!

She wasn't!

 _"It's good to know I've still got you."_

 _"It is good to know I have you on my side."_

Nonono.

She wasn't…She hadn't meant to!

What had she done?

Tears streamed down Blake's cheeks as the full impact of her actions hit her. Memories upon memories of her interactions with Jaune flashed through her mind. Not just those of this night. All of them. What she saw horrified her. She got annoyed just because he wanted to make things clear between them? She stopped him from ending things just because it didn't suit her needs?

What was wrong with her?

Just what had she thought Jaune was? A toy for her convenience?

How had things gotten this bad? Blake thought she was doing something good. She thought she was doing something necessary. The White Fang was going down a dangerous path and needed to be stopped. How could she have let that desire blind her so badly? How could she have sunk so low?

Blake held her knees to her chest as she huddled against a wall. Tears continued to fall from her eyes. She was not a person who cried easily, yet she could not stop herself now. Never before had Blake felt so utterly disgusted with herself.

Blake wished this day had never happened. She wished she could take everything back. She wished she had listened to Jaune the first time he wanted to end things.

Her wishes went unheard. What was done was done. Nothing would ever change that.

She was a monster.

No rain fell on Blake Belladonna. No thunder cracked. The night was peaceful, quiet, and warm. There was nothing to distract her from her thoughts and feelings. Completely alone, Blake sank into a misery of her own making.

xXx

For Jaune, the walk back to his room was a blur.

He stumbled through the dark halls of Beacon in a daze. He didn't remember getting up. He didn't remember leaving the classroom. His mind was a mess. Jaune still couldn't believe what had happened.

Maybe it hadn't, he told himself. Maybe it had all been a big misunderstanding.

Yeah, maybe it had been just that. There was no way Blake had been about to… That couldn't have possibly happened.

Right?

Blake had just tried to have sex with him. There was nothing weird about that. It was all they ever did. It was normal. Yeah, normal. Jaune shivered as he kept telling himself that. Normal. It had been normal.

Except he hadn't wanted it this time.

He hadn't wanted it, and Blake… Blake. Hadn't. Listened.

She never did. Blake never listened to him. Why would she start now? He was just a toy to her. Just something she could call upon to perform whenever she wanted. That was it. That was all he was. It was clear to him now, and like an idiot, he had gone along with it time and time again. That was why she had…

Jaune took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. He was trembling. Why was he trembling? Nothing had happened. It was a misunderstanding. Yeah. Just a big misunderstanding. Blake hadn't hurt him. He had pushed her away in time. Nothing had happened. _Nothing had happened!_

The door to his room came into view. It was a welcome distraction from his thoughts. However, as it did, a freezing thought occurred to Jaune.

What if Blake had gotten there before him?

Her room was right across the hall. She had been the first to leave the classroom. It would make perfect sense for her to arrive before him. Blake could be… Fear gripped Jaune's heart as he looked around.

The hallway was empty.

Jaune sighed in relief. One of his hands rose to clutch his chest. His heart was beating too loudly. Jaune didn't understand why. He wasn't scared. He wasn't. He had no reason to be afraid of Blake. Blake wouldn't-

Memories of hands holding him down flashed through his mind. So simply. So easily. Bile rose up in his throat.

Jaune swallowed and punched himself in the chest to force it down.

Stupid.

Jaune clenched his eyes shut and reminded himself to breathe. Calm down. He needed to calm down. Opening his eyes, Jaune reached for the door. Even as he did, he kept an eye on Team RWBY's door as if it would burst open at any time. No such thing happened. Of course it didn't. He was being silly. This was stupid. This whole thing was stupid.

Why was he so scared? Because Blake was stronger than him? He had always known that. Why was that scaring him now? Just because she had…

Stop.

The moment Jaune closed the door behind him, he let himself fall back against it. He was tired, so very tired. His legs were about to give out at any moment now. He wanted to fall asleep and let this day finish already.

"Jaune?"

He flinched the moment he heard a female voice but immediately relaxed upon noticing it was Pyrrha's emerald eyes that gazed at him through the darkness instead of Blake's golden ones.

"Hey," Jaune said. He weakly waved at her. As he did, Jaune's eyes briefly glanced around the room. Even in the darkness, Jaune could make out Ren's prone form lying on his bed while Nora's snores confirmed her presence. It was just Pyrrha who was up then. "You're awake."

"I had trouble sleeping."

"Want to talk about it?" Jaune hoped she would say yes. The look Pyrrha shot him dashed that hope.

"Where were you?"

Jaune grimaced. As strong and talented as Pyrrha was, she was usually not what one would call an assertive person. Instead, Pyrrha was the type of person who would go out of her way to please others. She was unfailingly nice to the bitter end.

There was nothing unassertive about Pyrrha right now. Her intense gaze told Jaune she would suffer no deflections.

"I went for a run." Jaune thought of the lie on the spot. "I couldn't sleep so I thought I needed to burn some energy."

There. That was a simple enough story.

"Is that what you have been doing the other nights as well?"

Jaune froze.

"What?"

"I have noticed you've been leaving some nights. Is that what you have been doing?" Pyrrha frowned. "Jaune, extra training is not necessarily a bad thing, but you can overwork yourself and-What happened to you?"

Whatever Pyrrha was about to say was discarded the moment she got close enough to him and noticed the state he was in. His clothes were a mess. Jaune wanted to kick himself for not fixing them before anyone saw him, not that he had expected anyone to be up at this hour.

"Nothing happened!" Jaune said a little too quickly for her to buy it.

"Was it Cardin?"

"What?" Jaune frowned. "No way. The guy hasn't bothered me in months."

With everything that had happened, Jaune had almost forgotten about him.

"Then who? You look terrible." Pyrrha reached out to straighten his shirt. The moment she got close to him, Jaune flinched away from her touch and stepped back, much to her shock.

"Jaune?" Worry was plain to hear in her voice. Of course she was worried. Stupid! Why had he reacted like that? Why hadn't he just blamed Cardin? She'd have bought that!

Why did he have to mess everything up?

"N-Nothing. It's nothing. I overreacted."

"Jaune, you're trembling."

He was, Jaune noticed. His body was shaking. Why was it doing that? He thought he had it under control. This was Pyrrha, damn it! There was no reason to be scared!

Breathe.

Breathe!

"It's nothing. I'm okay," Jaune tried to reassure her.

"Jaune, you're not okay." Pyrrha looked like she wanted to comfort him but feared moving closer would trigger another adverse reaction.

"I'm okay," Jaune repeated. Even so, he knew she was not going to let this go. He needed to distract her. He needed something like- "The bet!"

Pyrrha blinked. "Huh?"

"We made a bet. I won," Jaune said, pointing at her. "You owe me something."

"I do but-"

"Don't ask me about this. That's what I want. Just drop it, please."

"Jaune, are you really going to-"

"Pyrrha, please," Jaune begged. His hands were clasped in front of him. "Don't make me talk about this. That's all I want right now."

Pyrrha looked conflicted. However, Jaune already knew what choice she was going to make. In the end, Pyrrha would never willingly hurt him. That was why there was no way she would force him to talk. That he was using her kindness against her when she was only concerned for him made him feel sick.

"Okay," she said at last, clearly not happy. "I won't push you, but I want you to know I am your partner and your friend. I will be here for you when are ready to talk."

"I know," Jaune said, grateful and guilty. He had the best partner ever, undeserving though he may be. He looked at his sleeping teammates. "Eh… I don't think I'm going to be able to make it to class tomorrow. Could you-"

"I will tell Ren and Nora you are feeling sick, and that they should not wake you," Pyrrha said, having guessed what he was going to ask.

Jaune closed his eyes. It felt like a huge weight was being lifted from his shoulders. Facing classes. Facing Blake. He was not ready for that.

"Thank you."

After that, the two went to their respective beds in silence. It was a warm night, but Jaune pulled the covers over his body, hiding it from view. He held his knees close to his chest and curled into a ball. Only when he knew he was completely out of sight did his tears fall. His body was wracked by sobs he tried his best to silence, not wanting to wake up his teammates.

Only one thought ran through his mind.

Why was he always so pathetic?

xXx

The morning arrived without Blake noticing it. She didn't remember falling asleep. She wasn't even sure if she had slept at all. She certainly didn't feel rested. Her back ached from spending the entire night on the roof.

Blake hid her face between her hands as the sun's rays reached her. She didn't feel like standing. She didn't feel moving. She didn't feel like doing anything at all. If at all possible, Blake would rather have the planet swallow her whole.

She'd certainly deserve it.

"-ke!"

Blake blinked at the familiar yet distant voice.

"Blake!"

Frowning, Blake stood up and walked to the edge of the roof. There, standing in the courtyard, was Ruby. She zipped from place to place, leaving rose petals in her wake. Every now and then, Ruby called out her name. She was looking for her, hardly surprising considering Blake had spent the whole night outside.

A desperate part of Blake wanted to call Ruby. She squashed it down. She couldn't face Ruby. Not as she was right now. She couldn't see anyone. She couldn't talk to anyone. She needed space. She needed to think. She needed-

"Blake!"

Silver eyes stared right at her. Blake froze before quickly turning around, ready to bolt.

A storm of petals blocked her way.

Of course.

There was no way she could run from Ruby.

"Finally!" Ruby said, landing in front of Blake. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? We woke up, and you weren't there! You weren't answering your scroll! If you're going to head out early, just leave a… note…"

Ruby trailed off as she noticed the state Blake was in. Her clothes were all rumpled. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, a clear sign of the tears she had shed. "Blake, what happened?"

"I..." Blake hesitated. Should she tell the truth? No, how could she? The thought of Ruby looking at her with disgust was enough to make her ill. Ruby. Yang. Weiss. After what she had done, they would all be right to be disgusted with her.

Blake didn't want her friends looking at her like that. Even though she should say it. Even though she had to say it. Even though she deserved nothing but scorn.

"I…"

Why weren't the words coming?

"Blake. It's me. I'm here for you," Ruby said, taking a step forward.

Here for her?

Here for her?

How could Ruby say that to someone like her? She didn't deserve Ruby's kindness. She didn't deserve anyone's kindness. She needed to tell Ruby the truth. She needed to shout it. She needed to scream it.

She didn't.

Instead, Blake collapsed crying in front of her teammate. Ruby immediately moved to catch her in a hug.

"I-I hurt him, Ruby," Blake confessed between sobs. "I hurt him badly."

What happened next was a blur to Blake. She remembered crying and sobbing, and Ruby whispering comforting words and holding her. She did not remember Ruby walking her all the way to their room, yet it must have happened because that was where they ended up in.

"I called Yang and Weiss and told them you went to the nurse's office to get something and that you won't go to class because you're sick," Ruby explained as she tucked Blake into her bed. "We'll figure out the rest later. You need to rest now. Did you even sleep last night? No, wait. Don't answer that. Just sleep, okay?"

"I don't need to sleep," Blake protested, but even as she said, she felt the drowsiness setting it. Her bed was warm and comfortable. It called to her. Ruby's face blurred before her vision faded to black.

By the time Blake woke up, it was already afternoon. Looking at the clock and realizing she had some time before classes were over, Blake took a shower. The hot water soothed her muscles but did nothing to change how wretched she felt inside. After putting on clothes, Blake looked at her scroll. Weiss had sent a message telling her to take better care of herself. Yang's message told her to get well soon.

Meanwhile, Ruby, who knew she was not really sick, had sent several messages over the course of the day. Blake glanced over them briefly before sending a message to reassure Ruby she was okay even though she wasn't. Blake could not recall the last time she had been less okay.

There was a part of Blake that wanted to pack her things and leave. The urge to get away from everything had never been stronger, yet Blake refrained for one simple reason.

Jaune deserved better than that.

After what she had done to him, she couldn't just vanish into the night, never to be seen again. That wouldn't be fair to Jaune.

Blake sighed and went back to her bed. There were many books she could read, but she didn't feel like picking any of them up. Trying to escape into fantasy right now felt wrong. Instead, Blake thought back to the previous nights. She replayed her interactions with Jaune in her mind.

She saw how, little by little, she had stopped seeing Jaune as a person. Instead, he had just been another tool in her quest, or maybe she hadn't thought of Jaune as a person from the very start. She had been too busy obsessing over the White Fang to care about him.

If she had just paid attention to what Jaune wanted, none of this would have happened. She would have realized Jaune was uncomfortable with their relationship. They could have ended things cleanly. Instead, she had forced him to continue. She had pushed and pushed without regard for his wellbeing.

Selfish did not even begin to cover her behavior.

Who was she to talk about coexistence between humans and faunus when she couldn't even treat a single person with respect?

How pathetically arrogant.

The door opened. Blake looked up as Ruby entered the room. Yang and Weiss were nowhere to be seen.

"I told Weiss and Yang you were really sick. Lots of snot and puking and other things," Ruby told Blake. "I made it sound pretty gross, so they agreed it was better if I went in first to make sure you were presentable. They're in the library doing homework until I tell them it's okay to come here."

"Oh." Normally, something like that would have bothered her, but Blake didn't have it in her to feel annoyed or embarrassed right now.

Ruby sat down next to her. For a moment, she didn't say anything.

"When you said you hurt him," Ruby began, "you were talking about Jaune, weren't you?"

Blake winced but nodded. "Yes."

"Oh."

Another awkward pause descended on them.

"You were right that day," Blake said, looking away. "The day after that party. Something did happen. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but then I had Jaune help me with something. I thought we were both getting something out of it, but in the end, I was just using him. I took advantage of him. I hurt him, Ruby. I…I did something bad."

Even as she spoke, Blake wanted to scream at herself. Why was she being so vague? Why couldn't she just say it?

Why did she have to be such a coward?

"You know, that day, I was kind of happy," Ruby said, causing Blake to look at her. "I mean, you're my friend. Jaune's my friend. I like seeing my friends getting along. Guess that didn't work out like I thought it would."

The sad smile on Ruby's face added yet another wound to Blake's heart.

"It's my fault," Blake said. "I wasn't listening. I messed up everything. I... I have no idea what to do right now."

"Well," Ruby's head swayed from side to side, "If you did something wrong and you're feeling bad about it, an apology is usually the right place to start."

An apology?

An apology?

Blake wanted to laugh. How could an apology even begin to cover what she had done? How could an apology fix the damage she had wrought? It couldn't. Ruby didn't understand. She couldn't possibly comprehend her crime.

Not unless she stopped being a coward and told her.

"I don't think an apology is going to work here, Ruby."

"Jaune didn't go to class either." It was not what Blake expected Ruby to say. "Pyrrha said he was feeling sick. I'm guessing he wasn't feeling up to it. Like you."

Of course he hadn't been feeling up to it. Blake didn't dare to imagine how Jaune must be feeling right now.

"You know what that means, right?" Ruby asked. "It means Jaune's probably in his room right now. He's been right across the hall all day."

Blake's heart stopped.

All day.

Jaune had been just a few yards away from her all day.

An incredulous laugh escaped her lips.

"I mean, I'm not going to say I understand everything because you're being vague about it," Ruby said, "but you can't avoid each other forever. We go to the same school. We have the same classes. We hang out with his team. You're going to see Jaune eventually."

Ruby was right. As long as Blake stayed in Beacon, she would have to face Jaune again. She couldn't hide in her room for the next four years. No matter how much the idea appealed to her right now.

"When you see him are you going to pretend nothing happened?" Ruby asked. "I mean, if it was me, and someone did something wrong to me and then ignored it, I don't think I would like that."

"An apology is not going to fix things, Ruby."

"Well yeah." To Blake's surprise, Ruby nodded.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Yang broke Crescent Rose?" Ruby didn't wait for Blake to reply. "It was before Beacon. I was still building my baby back then. Yang and dad were sparring. She ended up using her Semblance too close to the toolshed, and a fire started. The Dust we kept there blew up."

"And Crescent Rose was in the toolshed," Blake guessed.

"And Crescent Rose was in the toolshed," Ruby confirmed, sighing. "She ended up a pile of scrap. It sucked. I lost months of hard work that day. Months! Yang apologized, but I was pretty angry. An apology wasn't going to fix Crescent Rose. An apology didn't give me back all the hours I spent working on her. I had to start all over again. Things were pretty bad between us for a while."

"What happened next?" Blake asked, curious.

"Time passed. We made up eventually," Ruby replied.

"Just like that?"

"Well yeah, we're sisters." Ruby shrugged. "It would have been silly to stay angry at Yang forever. I knew she felt bad about it. I just needed some time to cool off. Apologies aren't there to instantly fix things. It doesn't work that way. You apologize because you know what you did was wrong. The rest comes later."

Ruby's fingers toyed with her cloak. "At least, that's how dad explained it. If you did something wrong, and you're sorry, then apologizing is the least you can do for Jaune. You can figure out the rest later."

It wasn't the same. Their situation wasn't the same, not even close. She and Jaune weren't as close as Ruby and Yang. Jaune would be right to never forgive her for what she had done. However, Ruby was not wrong about one thing. An apology was the least she could do.

Jaune deserved that much.

"I..." Blake closed her eyes. "You're right, Ruby. You're right."

At the very least, she had to see Jaune again.

One last time.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **This chapter took a long time to write and a longer time to fix. There are still some parts I'm not quite sure of, the last scene between Ruby and Blake in particular. The Yang anecdote was a bit of a last minute addition.**

 **Anyway, there are a couple of things I really want to ramble about, but I'll save them for later. They're not important right now.**

 **T** **he stage is set.** **Next chapter will be the final chapter of Lonely Nights (not counting the epilogue). Jaune and Blake talk once again for the first time. Can I wrap everything up successfully? You be the judge!**

 **Till next Friday!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, let's go!**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

The door to Team JNPR's room loomed before Blake.

Although Ruby had made Blake see that she needed to talk to Jaune, it was one of those things that were easier said than done. At first, Blake had told herself it was too soon. She needed to give Jaune some space. She gave him one day, then another and another. By the third day, Blake returned to classes.

Jaune did not.

Seeing the empty spot next to Pyrrha made Blake's heart ache. She needed to talk to him soon. She knew that. Still, she managed to come up with excuses. She told herself Jaune had not yet left Team JNPR's room. She couldn't just go there and ask if she could talk with Jaune in private. His teammates would get suspicious.

Blake was assuming Jaune hadn't told them what happened that night. If they knew, Blake had a feeling she wouldn't be in one piece right now.

It was Saturday. Ren and Nora had gone out to Vale, something about Nora needing help picking out a dress. If someone wanted to talk with Jaune, now would be a perfect time, or so Ruby had pointedly told her. The implication couldn't have been more apparent.

Blake took a deep breath. Her hand gently knocked on the door. Her knock was so light she dared to hope no one would hear it. However, someone did. The door opened less than five seconds later. It didn't open all the way, just enough to reveal Pyrrha's emerald eyes. They narrowed upon seeing her.

"Yes?" Pyrrha's tone was blunt, clipped. It was the most hostile Blake had ever heard her. The redhead made no move to invite her in.

"I…" Blake found herself at a loss for words. She could swear she had known what she wanted to say before knocking. However, all the words she had rehearsed in front of the mirror seemed so distant now. "I was wondering if Jaune was here. I need to talk to him."

In the blink of an eye, Pyrrha surged out of her room, making Blake step back. The door closed behind the redhead.

Usually, Pyrrha was the nicest person ever. She had a way of making others forget that, even as a first-year, she was one of the strongest if not the strongest student in Beacon. Now, however, Blake could not help but feel the weight of that strength. She was suddenly all too aware of how tall Pyrrha was, of how even though she stood perfectly still, there was not a single opening on her.

This wasn't Pyrrha Nikos in front of her. It was the Invincible Girl.

Blake found herself wishing she had Gambol Shroud on her. Pyrrha's body language spoke of barely restrained violence, but why? Did she know? Had Jaune told her?

"Haven't you done enough?"

Blake felt like a pit had opened up beneath her. She felt naked and ashamed. She opened her mouth to explain herself, to beg for forgiveness, to say something. Anything. In the end, only one sentence left her mouth.

"He told you?"

Pyrrha's eyes almost glowed with anger.

"He didn't," Pyrrha said, much to her surprise. "I had my suspicions when the both of you became mysteriously ill at the same time. I became certain of it the moment you knocked on our door."

Oh.

It had been just that. Pyrrha hadn't known anything. She had just given herself away due to her nervousness. A small part of Blake felt irked at being tricked so easily. A larger part of her thanked her lucky stars. Pyrrha didn't know the full truth. She only knew something bad had happened between her and Jaune. However, there was no way Pyrrha could guess what she had done.

Pyrrha was too much of a good person to contemplate something so horrible. If Pyrrha did know, they wouldn't be talking. They would be fighting, and Blake would be losing.

"I don't know exactly what happened between you," Pyrrha continued, confirming Blake's suspicions. "But it was clearly nothing good. I am going to ask you to leave, Blake."

Blake wanted to leave. She wanted to leave badly. Pyrrha was giving her the perfect out. However, it wouldn't be right to take it. It wouldn't be right to leave things as they were right now. While Blake had already returned to classes, the same could not be said for Jaune. As far as Blake knew, he hadn't even left his room since that night.

If she left now, the only person she would be hurting would be Jaune.

Blake never wanted to do that again.

"I can't do that," Blake said, her back straight and her eyes aimed at Pyrrha's. "Pyrrha, I just need to talk with-"

"Leave!" Pyrrha snapped. Blake took a step back out of surprise. Her body instinctively assumed a defensive stance.

"Pyrrha, wait." The voice was low, weak. Still, Blake's cat ears twitched under her bow when she heard it. There was no way she could ever mistake that voice. For a moment, she couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

She never imagined just hearing Jaune's voice would affect her like this.

Pyrrha heard his voice as well if the way her body froze was any indication.

"Let her in," Jaune said from inside his room.

Pyrrha frowned. She didn't take her eyes off Blake as she addressed the boy behind the closed door. "Jaune, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Pyrrha, please. I need to talk to her."

Blake could see the way Pyrrha's fists clenched at her sides. The redhead glared at her with frightening intensity.

For a moment, Blake feared Pyrrha was about to attack her.

"Very well," she said instead, her voice tense. Pyrrha stepped aside and held the door open for Blake. "Come in."

It wasn't a request. It was a command, one which Blake found herself obeying. Her heart beat faster with each step. Just hearing Jaune's voice had been a shock. Stepping into his room made her feel dizzy, nauseous even.

Team JNPR's room smelled of sugar, herbs, and Dust. Underneath it all, however, there was a scent Blake recognized all too well. Jaune's scent. How could she not recognize it when she had lain next to him so many times? It was a scent she had grown to find quite pleasant over their many nights together.

Now, however, it was just another reminder. Her guilt magnified its presence. It was all around her, suffocating her. Blake wanted to dash for the door and never return.

She stopped herself and took another step inside.

The room was dark, but that was not an obstacle to her. Blake could see everything clearly. She couldn't help but notice Team JNPR had been far more efficient in organizing their room than Team RWBY. All four beds were on the floor, and there was plenty of space left. Team JNPR hadn't needed to resort to bunk beds.

Then again, Team JNPR didn't have to deal with Weiss' many suitcases and Yang's multiple hair care products. Blake was sure that helped.

It was easy to tell which corner of the room belonged to whom. Ren's corner was neat and tidy with a few potted plants over by the windowsill. Nora's corner had her clothes strewn all over the floor. Pyrrha's was spartan, devoid of personal items unrelated to schoolwork. Jaune's was the last one. Blake waited until the very end to turn her gaze there.

She didn't want to look. She didn't want to see.

Still, she had to.

Jaune's side of the room was surprisingly ordered. His trademark hoodie was the only thing on the floor, though Blake could spot a few comics hidden underneath his bed. Despite the utter normality of the scene, Blake felt the urge to tremble when her eyes met the owner of the bed.

Jaune sat on his bed. His legs were crossed, and he had a blanket over his shoulders. His back rested against the corner of the room.

He looked so small.

Even though Blake knew Jaune was far taller than her, he looked so small when against the wall with his shoulders hunched. Guilt pierced her heart yet again.

She had done this.

His eyes met hers. Blake's breath got caught in her throat. Once again, she found herself with no idea what to say. She had rehearsed her words before coming here. She had gone over them countless times in her mind. It seemed so pointless now. So petty and small. How could she even begin this conversation?

"Hey."

The moment the word left her mouth, Blake wanted to slap herself for saying it.

"Hey," Jaune replied. Even his voice sounded weak, completely lacking in spirit.

Blake did not reply. Multiple words tripped over themselves in her mind, never even getting the chance to make it close to her mouth. An awkward silence descended over them. Never before had Blake felt more uncomfortable in her own skin than standing before Jaune. The bow she had gotten so used to wearing was suddenly tight around her ears. She needed to break this suffocating silence somehow.

However, Blake could not find the strength to move her mouth.

In the end, it was not her who spoke.

"Pyrrha," Jaune said. As he spoke, his gaze moved behind Blake, causing the faunus to look back. It was only then that Blake noticed Pyrrha was still there. The Mistrali had yet to leave the room. She was watching the two with her arms crossed, a frown on her face. "Could you give us some privacy?"

Blake looked warily as Pyrrha's knuckles turned white.

"Very well," Pyrrha said with great reluctance. "If that's what you wish, I'll wait outside. Do not hesitate to call me."

The last part was aimed directly at Blake. She heard the message loud and clear. If Pyrrha heard anything remotely suspicious, the door would be coming down, and Blake would be in a world of hurt. It was not a threat. It was a promise.

If Jaune caught the subtext, he did a remarkable job at hiding it. He just gave Pyrrha a small smile. "Thank you."

Pyrrha nodded stiffly at Jaune before walking out of the room. She closed the door behind her, leaving Blake and Jaune alone.

Once again, Blake was alone in a room with Jaune. The realization made her heart speed up, but not in a good way.

"So," Jaune said, drawing Blake's gaze to him. "I guess we can talk now."

"Right. Talk," Blake said, stiffly and mechanically. Her voice had never sounded so foreign to her.

Just what was wrong with her today? She was not a talkative person, but it was not out of shyness. Fear had never held her tongue back. Anyone who had ever heard her speak about faunus rights could attest to that.

Why was she such a coward now?

The answer came to her easily enough.

It was shame.

Blake needed to apologize to Jaune, yet she feared choosing her words. She needed to tell Jaune everything. He deserved that much, but she didn't want to sound like she was just making excuses for herself. She didn't want to sound like she was ducking responsibility for her actions. The urge was strong. Shame compelled her to protect herself, but she needed to fight it.

Jaune was owed something. She was here to give it to him.

But where to start?

"I abandoned my parents." The words caught Jaune by surprise, but no more than they did Blake. Why had she said that? Why had she started there?

"Blake, what-"

"I abandoned my parents," Blake repeated. That did not ease Jaune's confusion. She knew what he wanted to ask. What did this have to do with anything? She wanted to explain, but words kept leaving her mouth in a disorganized mess. "Five years ago, the White Fang changed leaders. Many people felt more violent methods were needed. My parents were not among them. When the new leader took over, they left. I didn't."

If only she hadn't been such a fool, she would have left with them.

"We had a big argument. I called them fools and cowards. I told them I didn't need them. The White Fang was my family." That had been the last conversation she had with her parents. It still hurt to remember it. "I was convinced the White Fang was doing the right thing. I burned down shops that refused service to faunus. I stole Dust. I threatened and hurt people."

Blake felt emboldened by the way Jaune's eyes got progressively wider with each declaration. Good. He needed to understand what a horrible person she was.

"Throughout it all, I believed it was the right thing to do. I believed it... because he believed it." Blake paused. It was the first time she talked about Adam since coming to Beacon. It was harder than expected.

"He?"

"My mentor. My friend." And more. "I admired him. I believed that as long as I followed him, I was doing the right thing."

She had been so stupid back then. So blindingly arrogant.

Then again, was it any different now?

"Then people started dying. First, they were accidents. Then it was self-defense. That's what he told me. He told me not to worry, and I listened to him. I believed in him. However, it kept happening. Before I knew it, it became the new norm for us. I voiced my concerns. I confronted him about it several times. I tried to make him understand."

And each time, the result had been the same.

"I couldn't. Every time I tried, he made me second guess myself. Every time, he made me feel as if I was the one in the wrong. He knew me. He knew me well, and he used it against me. He made me feel foolish for doubting him. He was manipulating me. I can see that now." Blake felt tears about to form in her eyes but blinked them away before they could fall. "But back then, I actually felt grateful for how understanding he was being with me for doubting him."

Even when she had left, Blake had felt guilty for abandoning Adam, for leaving him after he had done so much for her. It had taken time and distance to put things in perspective for her. She would be lying if she said what she had done to Jaune hadn't played a part in it.

Jaune's eyes softened.

"Blake…"

"Don't!" Blake hissed and instantly regretted it when Jaune flinched at her tone. Still, she pressed on. "I'm not saying this to make you feel sorry for me. You should not feel sorry for me."

She didn't deserve it. Be it Jaune's pity or his kindness, she didn't deserve either of them.

"I'm saying this because I realized I was doing the same thing to you. I was so absorbed in my issues that I stopped paying attention to you. I wasn't looking at you. I wasn't hearing you. I was just using you. You wanted to stop, but I didn't care. I only cared about myself. What I did to you, the way I treated you, it was horrible. In the end, I almost… I almost forced myself on you."

The admission of what she had almost done seemed to hit both of them like a physical blow. Blake looked down. Her ears dropped under her bow.

"You didn't deserve that, Jaune. You didn't deserve any of it. I am sorry. For using you. For hurting you. For everything."

Silence once again dominated the room. Even though Blake had said what she wanted to say, she couldn't help but feel unsatisfied. She couldn't help but feel her words were lacking. She had been so sure she needed to speak, but now that she had she found words too inadequate to communicate how she felt.

At last, Jaune spoke. "Why are you telling me this? I mean, I get why you're apologizing," he hurried to add. "But you didn't need to tell me all those other things to do so."

It wasn't exactly the response Blake had expected. However, what else was Jaune supposed to do? Forgive her and move on? It wasn't that easy. It couldn't be that easy. What she had done was not something that could be fixed just by saying sorry. If she had to be honest with herself, she had come here expecting to receive Jaune's anger and nothing else.

If she had shared all this with Jaune, it was because…

"I felt you deserved to know. If I had just come to you and said sorry without saying anything else, it wouldn't have felt right. You deserved more than that." Blake wrapped her arms around herself. "Perhaps, this is just me being selfish again. I have never shared this with anyone before. I guess a part of me wanted someone to know the truth before I left."

Blake's hands flew to her mouth when she realized what she had just said, but it was too late. The words had already been spoken.

"Leave?" Jaune's eyes narrowed. "Are you leaving Beacon?"

"I have to." There was no point denying it now. She had given this matter enough thought. She couldn't just continue as if nothing had happened. Not after what she had done. "Someone like me… someone like me does not deserve to become a huntress."

To think she had wanted to change the world, to make things right between humans and faunus.

She couldn't even make things right with Jaune.

"I am sorry. For everything I did, I am so sorry." This time a lone tear fell down her cheek. "I hope you find happiness. You deserve it."

Blake turned, fully intent on dashing out of the room and out of the school. She needed to leave right away. Otherwise, Jaune would tell Ruby who would try to stop her. She couldn't have that. She needed to leave at once.

She didn't deserve Beacon.

"Wait!"

Jaune's hand stopped her.

With her heart pounding and her eyes full of fear, Blake looked at the hand clasped around her wrist. It was Jaune's hand. Jaune's hand was touching her. His grip was weak. His hand was trembling.

Even so, he held her.

She couldn't move. Not because it would be hard to shake off his grip. Jaune wasn't putting anywhere near as much strength into it as he could. Just touching her seemed to be causing him distress. Yes, Blake could easily break his grip and escape.

She didn't dare to.

Even the thought of accidentally hurting Jaune revolted her. As far as she was concerned, his grip might as well have been made of iron.

"W-Wait," Jaune said once more, tripping over the word. He was clearly uncomfortable with touching her. Why shouldn't he be after what she had done? "I… Blake, just sit down. Please."

He looked pleadingly at her, and she couldn't find the strength to say no. Blake sat down at a prudent distance from Jaune. The moment she did, Jaune instantly let go of her. Blake was keenly aware of the slight tremble that ran over his body as he did so. The blond reached for the thermos resting over his nightstand. He unscrewed the cap and poured himself a drink.

"It's some sort of herbal remedy," Jaune told her after taking a long sip. He made a face. "Ren thinks I'm sick, so he made this for me. It tastes horrible, but it helps with the nerves."

He tried to smile, but it didn't last. He sighed and held his face between his hands.

"You're... you're really selfish, you know that?"

Blake winced. "I know. That's why-"

"I'm not just talking about..." Jaune took a deep breath. "I'm not just talking about that night. I'm talking about right now."

"Right now?" Blake blinked. "But I-"

"Let me finish," Jaune cut in. He sounded a little exasperated. "I mean, you come in and make this big speech, then just leave before I can say anything? How is that fair?"

"I wasn't-"

"Let me finish," Jaune repeated. Blake went silent. In spite of his words, Jaune didn't speak for a while. He looked nervous. His fingers tapped against his knee. Finally, he spoke.

"I don't think you should leave Beacon."

Jaune said the words as if he was forcing them out of his mouth. He didn't even look at her.

Even so, Blake couldn't believe he had just uttered those words.

"Even after what I did to you?" Blake challenged. "Do you really think someone like me deserves to be a huntress?"

"I…" Jaune looked away. "Look it's not that simple."

"Yes, it is!" Blake pointed at him. "Look at you! You can barely stand being in the same room as me. You can't even look at me, and rightly so. If I don't leave, you'll be seeing me every day. We'll go to the same classes. We have Combat Class together. What do you think will happen if Goodwitch makes us fight?"

Even as she said it, Blake realized how horrible that would be. The thought of hurting Jaune had become unbearable to her, and she was not the one who had suffered most that night. That was why she needed to know. Why would Jaune want someone like her to stay in Beacon?

However, Jaune did not reply right away. Instead, Pyrrha knocked on the door.

"Jaune, is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked. Blake frowned as she realized she had raised her voice too much. She was lucky Pyrrha hadn't broken down the door.

"Yes," Jaune called out. "Everything is fine, Pyrrha. Don't mind us."

Jaune and Blake waited for one tense moment. When it became clear Pyrrha wasn't about to enter the room, the two relaxed a little. Jaune turned his attention back to Blake, though he was careful not to meet her eyes.

"I… I'll admit I hadn't considered that last part," Jaune said, wincing. His gaze tried to stay on Blake, but it quickly drifted away. "I still stand by what I said. I don't think you should leave Beacon."

"After everything I did? After the way I treated you?" Blake couldn't understand it. Shouldn't he be glad she would be out of his life soon enough?

Jaune sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, I won't lie and say I'm suddenly okay with what you did to me. Blake, you made me feel horrible that night. No, it wasn't just that night. It started before that. You made me feel small. Weak. Helpless."

This time it was Blake who winced as each of his accusations lanced her heart.

"To be honest, I don't think I can forgive you just yet."

Blake closed her eyes. There it was. She had known what his reaction would be. She even agreed with it. She didn't deserve forgiveness.

Even so, it still hurt.

"Then why?"

"Why am I not telling you to go away?" Jaune asked. This time, he did meet her eyes. Blake nodded. "Because that wouldn't help at all."

Jaune's gazed dropped down to his lap. One of his hands clutched the mattress. His knuckles were white.

"Let's say you leave Beacon. What happens next? I'll tell you. Ruby will be sad because you vanished in the middle of the night. Yang will be sad because her partner is missing, and Ruby will then be extra sad because her sister is sad. Even Weiss is going to feel sad. Then my team is going to feel bad because your team is sad, and I'm going to feel super guilty about being the guy who broke up Team RWBY. And yes," Jaune added before Blake could say anything. "I know that doesn't make any damn sense, but I'd still feel responsible for it."

"You… seem to have thought a lot about this." It was the only thing Blake could think to say.

"I've been locked in my room all week," Jaune said, shrugging. "I've been doing nothing but thinking when I haven't been feeling like crap. I had Ren use his Semblance on me the other day thinking it would help me calm down, but all it did was make me calm enough to think about even more stuff. I thought about telling someone what happened. I thought about confronting you. I thought about… it doesn't matter. I ended up doing nothing but hide in my room."

"I can't help but notice how none of what you said had anything to do with how you would feel if I left," Blake noted. "You just talked about how others would feel and how you'd react to their feelings."

Jaune pursed his lips. "There… there might be a part of me that would be happy if I never had to see you again." He sighed. "There. I said it. I'm not so cool that I can just not be angry at you."

Blake's ears dropped, not that Jaune noticed.

"But!" Jaune added. "That's just one part, and I don't want to be just that. I don't want to be that guy."

"Why not?" Blake asked. "Jaune, after what I did, you are more than justified in wanting me out of your life for good."

If anything, he should have gone to Ozpin or Goodwitch to have her expelled already.

"Because when people show you an ugly side of themselves, all it means is just that. They showed you an ugly side of themselves, but people don't just have one side to them." There was a nostalgic smile on Jaune's face as he spoke. "Mom always says that. That's why she taught us strangers are just friends we haven't met yet. Because even if someone gives a really bad first impression, that doesn't mean that's all there is to them."

Blake stared.

It was hopelessly optimistic logic. No, even calling it logic might be too much. However, naïve as it may sound to her ears, Jaune looked like he believed it.

"Jaune, I don't think I have shown you anything that even hints at a good side. All this time, I have done nothing but show you ugly sides of myself."

"I… yeah, okay. I have seen a pretty ugly side of you. There's no denying that, but I don't want to believe that's all there is to you. Ruby talks about you a lot, you know? Blake is so smart. Blake is so cool. She will say things like that from time to time. Well, she talks about all of you, really. She can't stop saying how amazing you all are."

"Those are just things you have heard about me. It's not the same as something you have seen with your own eyes."

"Do you remember the Initiation?" Jaune asked. "When I saw you girls taking down that Nevermore, that was my first real impression of you. I thought you four were amazing. You were strong. You were brave. You were cool. Everything I wasn't. That's why I was so happy when someone like you paid attention to me."

Stop.

"I've also seen how you are with your team, Blake. I have seen you smiling with them, even laughing once or twice. I've seen you put Cardin in his place during Oobleck's class. You're right in that you showed me an ugly side of yourself, but that's not all there is to you. At least, I don't want to believe that."

Please, stop.

"I won't say everything is okay between us. I won't say I'm not angry at you, but I will say I don't want to feel like this. I don't want you to go away and never return."

If he kept being so kind, if he kept being so understanding, then didn't that make her crime all the more horrible? Had she been abusing someone like this the entire time?

If he kept talking, if he kept being like that then…

"Ruby even told me your reason for being in Beacon is because you want to make things better between humans and Faunus. That's way better than my reason for being here."

She was… She was really going to…

"I don't think you should give up on something like that."

Blake broke.

xXx

Jaune's eyes widened as Blake Belladonna broke down crying in front of him. Tears freely streamed down her cheeks. Her hands rose to cover her face, but her sobs did not stop. It was a surreal sight. The girl that always seemed so in control of herself now couldn't stop crying.

"I am sorry!" He blurted out the words without thinking.

He hadn't meant to make her cry. He had just been trying to convince her not to leave. Now he had a crying Blake and no idea how to deal with her. A voice in Jaune's mind that sounded suspiciously like his mother told him he should hug her.

However, there was no way he could bring himself to do that.

He might have said a lot of things, but what Blake had done to him wasn't something he could just talk himself into being okay with. He couldn't get over it so easily. Just being in the same room as her and listening to her voice was hard.

Just the thought of touching her again sent a wave of nausea through his body.

It wasn't that he hated Blake. Not at all.

He was just scared of going through the same horrible thing again. The logical part of his mind knew that wouldn't happen. That night had been an awful mistake. The absolutely miserable look on Blake's face when she entered his room was proof enough. Blake hadn't come here to pick up where she'd left off. Jaune knew that.

Even so, he still feared. Emotions weren't logical to begin with. That was why, even though she probably needed it, he couldn't bring himself to hold Blake.

In the end, he settled for hesitantly placing a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry."

Blake laughed bitterly. "You're apologizing to me? Jaune, you should hate me. You should scorn me. You shouldn't be trying to tell me I'm a good person."

"What do you want me to do? Shout insults at you and throw you out of my room?"

He had thought about it. He had thought about it so much. He had wanted to rage at Blake. To hurt her. If she had come before him a couple of days earlier, he might have done it. However, rage burned out quickly. He hadn't been able to keep that fire lit. Right now, he just felt miserable. They both did. Adding more misery just seemed petty right now.

"I don't think that will make anyone feel better, Blake. Not you. Not me."

"You're trembling," Blake pointed out, sniffing.

"I am," Jaune admitted, trying and failing to calm his trembling hand. Still, he didn't remove it from her shoulder. "That's probably not going to stop anytime soon."

What happened had left a mark that couldn't be removed. As much as Jaune wished it could be that simple, it wasn't something that could be fixed with one conversation.

"What now?" Blake asked, looking up at him. She looked as lost as he felt. "Where do we go from here?"

Somehow, Jaune knew that whatever he said she would do. He wished he could have a perfect answer for her. For both of them.

He didn't.

"I don't know," Jaune admitted.

They couldn't go back to being what they were. They couldn't go back to just being two people who shared friends. They sure as hell couldn't go back to that mess of a relationship. In a way, it might have been easier for Jaune if Blake had just left. Now, they would have to face each other every day, knowing what had happened between, unable to ignore it.

"We'll figure something out."

They had to.

"Let's take things slowly for now. Day by day."

"Day by day," Blake repeated. She wiped some of her tears away and nodded. "Okay... okay, we can try that."

They could do this, Jaune told himself. They could move forward.

They had to.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Sometimes, I say one part of the chapter was particularly hard to write. This time all the chapter was super hard to write. Well, the initial confrontation between Pyrrha and Blake was relatively easy. Everything else? Super hard.**

 **I can't believe we've reached this point. I want to thank all of you who have stuck with the story so far.**

 **Next week, the epilogue!**


	7. Chapter 7

**And now, the epilogue.**

* * *

 **Lonely Nights**

* * *

"Sleeping bags?"

"Check."

"Flashlights?"

"Check."

"Dust rounds?"

"Check."

"Good. Everything is accounted for then."

"What about the cookies?"

"What for? We are going on a mission, not a field trip."

"Weiss!"

An amused Blake watched as Ruby and Weiss argued over what to pack for the mission to Mountain Glenn. Once upon a time, Blake had done her best to tune out their arguments, thinking them a waste of time. Now, she couldn't imagine her life without them. Team RWBY was her home.

To think she had been about to leave it all behind.

The small smile that had been forming on Blake's face dimmed.

Time had passed since that night. Jaune had returned to class. As for Blake, she took the advice she should have taken much earlier and shared her desire to do something about the White Fang with her team.

To no one's surprise, Ruby had leaped at the chance to do good. It made Blake feel stupid over how obsessed she had been with doing everything on her own.

Of course, not everything had gone smoothly. Blake's wariness regarding infiltrating a White Fang rally had proven well-founded. It took less than five minutes for her to be recognized. Still, finding out the thing the White Fang had smuggled from Atlas was a giant robot had been worth it. Even if that knowledge raised more questions than it answered.

As capable as the Atlas branch of the White Fang was, there was no way they could have gotten their hands on something like that without help. Had Blake learned of this during the beginning of the semester, she would have become obsessed with trying to figure out how the White Fang acquired the Paladin. However, the consequences of letting her passions get the better of her had been shown to her all too clearly.

Blake knew better than to let herself be consumed again. Never again would she allow something like that to happen. Instead of obsessing over it, Blake allowed herself to take a step back. To relax for a while.

However, that didn't mean she had gone to the dance. Sun had asked her, and Yang had encouraged her to go for it, but Blake had declined. After what happened with Jaune, she could not bring herself to do it. The memories of what she had done still weighted heavily on her. Going to the dance wouldn't feel right, especially since Jaune hadn't gone either.

"Hey, stop arguing, and let's get this over with already," Yang said, plopping herself down next to Blake. A teasing smile appeared on her face. "We wouldn't want Blake to be late for her date!"

"It's not a date," Blake said, mostly out of habit. Yang hadn't believed her the first twelve times she had said it. No one had. Why would they start now?

Sure enough, Yang's teasing smile grew into a teasing grin, Weiss shot her an utterly mystified look, and Ruby aimed an encouraging smile her way. Blake fought the urge to shake her head. They didn't get it.

The night she had apologized to Jaune had been the first time the two had actually talked with one another. It had helped. However, it would be foolish to think a single conversation could make everything right. Things hadn't suddenly returned to some semblance of normality. Such a thing was impossible.

After Jaune had returned to class, he and Blake had talked to each other as much as they had before the incident, which was to say not much at all. It shouldn't have been weird or strange, except it was. The silence between them was felt as a physical force. It was heavy, suffocating, and could not be ignored.

Their friends certainly hadn't.

Not knowing the full story, they could only see that she and Jaune were being awkward around each other for some reason, so they had done what came naturally to them. Blake understood that, but it would have been so easy for things to go wrong back then.

It had all started with a joint study session in the library.

All members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR had been there except for Pyrrha who had come down with a cold. As the minutes went by, their friends had left one by one, each claiming they suddenly remembered something important they had to do. It had probably been Yang's idea. Her or Nora's.

Blake should have seen it coming, but she hadn't. Not until Yang suddenly stood up and said she and Ruby had to go to the armory. It had been as much of a surprise for her and Jaune as it had been for Ruby who had stared at them with wide eyes as Yang dragged her away.

Leaving Jaune and Blake alone.

Yes, she really should have seen it coming. They hadn't even been subtle about it. However, she had been too busy trying to act like nothing was wrong to notice the obvious. Their friends had forced them to be alone with each other, hoping they would talk things out. Their intentions were good. Unfortunately, they didn't understand the issue.

For minutes, they hadn't talked. They probably should have left the library the moment Ruby and Yang had. That would have been the smart thing to do. However, they hadn't. They had so badly wanted to pretend they could act like nothing was wrong that they had stayed at that table, suffering that silence.

Jaune had been the one to speak first.

 _"So… what's your favorite color?"_

It was just something he had said to fill the void. Just words off the top of his head. Jaune might as well have talked about the weather. He probably hadn't even expected her to answer. Still, Blake had, just as eager to escape the silence as he was.

 _"Purple."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Is there a problem with that?"_

 _"No, it's just… I thought for sure you were going to say black."_

 _"I like purple."_

 _"Oh."_

There had been something in Jaune's eyes as he said that. Blake still wasn't quite sure what it was. Regardless, it compelled her to ask him the same question.

 _"What's yours?"_

 _"My favorite color? It's white."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"What? You thought I was going to say yellow?"_

 _"Blue, actually."_

 _"Oh."_

The memory of that horribly awkward conversation was still enough to make Blake wince. Still, those few words had helped them realize something important. Despite everything that had happened between them, the two really didn't know each other all that much. Blake Belladonna did not know Jaune Arc, and Jaune Arc did not know Blake Belladonna.

Perhaps that was what compelled them to keep talking.

They talked until late in the evening. Throughout it all, they never once spoke about anything important. Nothing too deep. Nothing too personal. Just normal things. Pastimes. Favorite foods. Favorite stories. Just normal trivial things.

It had helped.

The tension between them remained, but it wasn't as overpowering as before. Perhaps, it was because by learning more about each other, they had been able to start seeing themselves as something other than abused and abuser. Then again, perhaps she was just deluding herself. Perhaps they had just gotten better at faking normalcy. Regardless, there had been another talk after that and then another one.

Somewhere along the way, they had agreed to meet up at least once a week.

"You know you can talk to us, right?" Yang quietly told her as Weiss and Ruby's attention went back to packing. The blonde wasn't looking at her, but Blake had a feeling she'd find an uncharacteristically serious look on her face if she was.

"I know. I promise I will one day."

Blake knew their friends had all drawn their own conclusions regarding what had happened between her and Jaune, but the full truth was not something she or Jaune had shared with anyone. Keeping things a secret had been Jaune's idea.

"I'd rather you didn't tell anyone about what happened," Jaune had told her.

Had Jaune said those words out of a misguided attempt to protect her, Blake would have confessed the truth right away. However, it wasn't like that. Jaune's reason was far more uncomfortable.

He was ashamed of what had happened.

It was not something Blake knew how to address, especially because she was the cause of it. The only thing she could do was go along with Jaune's wishes. If Jaune didn't want the others knowing the truth because of that, she would keep it a secret. For now, at least.

One day, Jaune would recover enough to share what had happened that night. Blake dreaded that day, dreaded the disgusted looks on her friends' faces. Nevertheless, she would face the consequences of her actions when the time came. She owed Jaune that and so much more.

"Just not yet."

"I'll hold you to that."

A pillow struck Blake's face right after. It fell off her face to reveal a guilty Ruby who had been aiming at Weiss. Blake took the pillow and aimed.

Packing took a long time to get done.

xXx

Whenever Jaune and Blake met for one of their sessions, they usually did so in Team JNPR's room. Jaune felt more at ease there, and there was little chance of being overheard by a random student. Ren and Nora went out on dates fairly often now, so it wasn't like they were imposing. The location also had the advantage of being about five steps away from Team RWBY's room.

There was only one problem.

Pyrrha.

The redhead waited for Blake. She stood in front of the door with her arms crossed. Even though Pyrrha did a remarkable job of hiding it behind a polite smile whenever their teams were together, Blake knew she was still intensely angry at her. It was likely only out of deference to Jaune that Pyrrha did not make a bigger issue out of it.

Except for that one time in Combat Class.

Contrary to Blake's fears, Professor Goodwitch had yet to put her in a match against Jaune. Blake knew she wouldn't be able to handle something like that.

Goodwitch had put her in a match against Pyrrha.

On that day, Blake learned what it felt like to be completely outclassed. The fight had lasted a minute, but those sixty seconds had been the longest of Blake's life. Pyrrha had overwhelmed her with brutal, methodical precision. By the end of it all, Blake had been on the floor, panting and bruised with her aura in the red.

Pyrrha's aura had been full.

No one had talked. No one had clapped. Deathly silence dominated the classroom after that fight. Even Goodwitch hadn't seemed to know what to say.

Pyrrha, however, had. Once the two had made their way back to the locker room, Pyrrha had said her piece.

"You don't deserve him."

There had been nothing Blake could say to that. She could try to explain to Pyrrha that she and Jaune weren't together, but it wouldn't matter. Pyrrha probably knew that better than anyone. Besides, she was right. She didn't deserve him. Jaune was a good person, and she had treated him like crap. The only thing Blake could do now was try to make it up to him in any way she could.

If Jaune asked her to leave his life forever, she would do so. If he wanted to keep their talks going because he believed that would make things better between them, she would be there for him.

Even if it meant facing Pyrrha's glare every time.

"I am here to see Jaune," she said.

Pyrrha looked at her for ten very awkward seconds during which Blake repeatedly told herself to not run away. She almost breathed out a sigh of relief when Pyrrha moved out of the way and left the door open for her. Blake watched as Pyrrha walked away. At least, she wasn't staying in the hall while she and Jaune talked anymore. That was progress.

Maybe.

Blake took a deep breath and went in.

A pleasant smell hit her the moment she entered the room. Jaune looked up and waved at her. "Hey, I thought it would take you girls longer to pack for your mission."

Blake did not answer right away. She was too busy staring at the small table set in the middle of the room. There were two plates with food on them. Her gaze slowly went up to meet Jaune's eyes.

"You cooked?"

Jaune scratched the back of his head. "About that, I was feeling pretty hungry last time, but you were talking about your home, so I didn't want to interrupt. Would have been awkward. I figured I'd try to have something ready for us this time. You don't mind, do you? I made tuna omelets."

They smelled delicious.

He might as well have shoved his sword through her heart.

"Jaune, you don't have to force yourself to-"

"Hey, I'm not forcing myself!" Jaune said. Blake shot him a look. He sighed. "Okay, maybe I'm forcing myself. But just a little. Is it really that bad if I do, though? If I just want things to be okay? To stop feeling like this? Is that so wrong?"

It was, and it wasn't. However, it wasn't like she wasn't guilty of the same thing. Nevertheless…

"You shouldn't be doing nice things for me," Blake said. Every time he did, her guilt became unbearable. Jaune's kindness was not something that should be wasted her. She was unworthy of it. It burned her like fire. If she didn't know better, she would swear Jaune was doing it on purpose just to torture her. However, he wasn't that type of person.

That made it worse.

"I'm doing it for me too," Jaune said, motioning her to take a seat. "It's not like I can just make food for myself and eat it in front of you. I'd feel like a jerk."

He wouldn't be. After what she had done to him, he could do whatever he wanted with her, and he still wouldn't be called a jerk.

However, if it was what Jaune wanted, she had little choice in the matter.

"Fine," Blake said as she took a seat, "But what about this?"

As she spoke, she took Gambol Shroud's ribbon out of her pocket.

The same ribbon Jaune tied around her hands every time they were alone like this.

"I… hadn't thought about that," Jaune admitted.

It was a good thing Yang didn't know about this particular detail. Blake would never hear the end of it if she did. However, the reason why Jaune tied the ribbon around her wrists had nothing to do with whatever Yang's mind could come up with.

Jaune just didn't feel safe with her.

He tried to hide it. He tried to play it off. He tried to pretend he could treat her like a friend like he was doing now. However, there was no hiding the way he would flinch if she moved too suddenly or how he went out of his way to avoid even so much as brushing against her. Blake had been the one to suggest he tie her hands when they were alone as a way to make him feel more at ease in her presence.

She had just thrown it out there, not expecting Jaune to agree to something like that.

He had.

"Maybe we could do without the ribbon this time?" Jaune asked, but Blake could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"Would you really feel comfortable with that?"

Jaune sighed. "No. I'm sorry."

"Jaune, you are the last person that should be apologizing to me. It's fine." Blake held out her hands and offered the ribbon to him. Jaune took it and began to tie it around her wrists, all while making sure to never make contact with her skin.

She could easily free herself if she wanted, and they both knew it, but this was not a matter of logic. They were doing this so Jaune would feel safe. If this helped him even a little, Blake would do it.

"Your food will grow cold like this."

"I can heat it later," Blake said as Jaune made sure not to tie the ribbon too tightly around her wrists. "It was a nice thought."

Certainly better than she deserved.

Jaune did not seem to think so. He stared at the ribbon with a stubborn look on his face. It was the same look he'd sometimes get during combat class when he was losing a spar. It was the same look he'd get when doing a particularly tricky piece of homework that he didn't want anyone to help him with just yet. It was a look Blake had come to find quite-

No. Blake shook her head. It was better not to go there.

After a while, Jaune seemed to come to a conclusion. He nodded to himself before picking up the fork and knife on her side of the table.

"Say aaah," Jaune said as he cut a small piece of omelet and offered it to her.

"What?" Blake said in surprise before the food was suddenly shoved in her mouth with expertise that could only come from having to pamper seven sisters.

"You told me about Kuo Kuana last time, so it's my turn to share something," Jaune said as he cut another piece for her. "No reason you can't eat while I do so."

He tried to say it casually, but there was no hiding the slight tremor in his voice that came from being in such close proximity to her.

Shame and gratitude welled up inside Blake with so much force she almost felt like crying. Why was he always like this? Why did he have to try so hard?

Why couldn't she have noticed it sooner?

"The other day you said you've been to Mistral before. Ever heard of Shion village? My parents used to take us vacationing there. It's a cozy little town. There was this one time when…"

Blake listened with interest as she continued being fed by her… friend? No, she did not deserve to be called Jaune's friend. Not after what she had done. They were no longer lovers, and they were too close be called acquaintances. The link between them eluded her attempts to describe it.

It was bizarre, but it was there, the remainder of the wounds she had inflicted upon Jaune. By all means, it should be something purely negative. However, if Jaune refused to let it be that, who was she to say otherwise?

Maybe one day, they would reach something approaching normal. Maybe not. Maybe theirs was a doomed effort. Maybe one day Jaune would wake up and realize how much he should hate her. Regardless, whatever happened, Blake would keep doing as Jaune wished. She would stay at his side for as long as he was willing to have her.

And if things returned to normal… if things got better…

No.

That was not a thought Blake was willing to entertain, not even in her own mind.

However, if it could happen…

If it could…

* * *

 **AN:**

 **And so it ends.**

 **Things are not well, but they're not as bad as they could be. The balance of power between Jaune and Blake has shifted rather dramatically and in a way that would worry Jaune if he knew just how far Blake is willing to go for him now. Also, yes, Jaune not going to the dance means that Weiss ended up alone. That kind of sucks for her.**

 **Overall, this was the happiest I could end things considering everything that happened in the story. Well, the happiest I could end things without writing ten more chapters or so just dealing with the aftermath, but that's not a challenge I'm willing to take up.**

 **Do Jaune and Blake manage to get past this and establish a genuine friendship? Do they fail? As the writer, I'd like to think things will go in a positive direction, but you're free to assume otherwise.**

 **Now, allow me ramble a bit.**

 **I can't believe I actually finished a fic. I also can't believe how hard to write this was.**

 **The original idea was simple. Jaune and Blake had a one-night stand. That was it. However, once I finished the original one-shot, this idea came to me. My first thought was, "Would it make sense for Blake to act like this?" To me, at least, the logic checked out. For all that she is supposed to be "the quiet one," Blake is a very passionate person, and volume 2 is a good example of how that can lead Blake to becoming obsessed. The materials were all there. I just needed to create the circumstances.**

 **That led to my second big question regarding this fic, "Can I pull it off?" Could I make you believe this was a thing Blake would do? Could I make it make sense? Could I make you believe Blake could act in a way that was (as one reviewer quickly noticed) Adam-like? This story deals with some heavy subjects, and I've never written anything like this before. It's fair to say I barely had any confidence in pulling this fic off. Still, I felt like I had to try my hand at this.**

 **Even as I kept writing the story, I doubted. After posting chapter 2, I was like, "Okay, last chance. You can totally change the story to something less dark. No one has to know you chickened out. Once you post chapter 3, there is no going back." Obviously, I didn't change my mind, but the urge was strong. Now, here we are.**

 **Did I succeed at doing what I wanted to do?**

 **I'm not sure.**

 **There are many points in this story where I felt I should have done a better job. Like, should there have been a chapter between chapters 2 and 3 to let the story breathe a bit? One between 3 and 4? I wondered about that a lot. Ultimately, I decided against it because I didn't want to sacrifice the quick pace of the story, but I still wonder if that was the right call. I also wanted to give the other characters a little more screen-time, but I feared the story would become too padded if I did.**

 **Then there's Jaune's character. He kind of ended up maturing way faster than I had planned. The guy got away from me at some point.**

 **There were many chapters that I posted while thinking, "So this is going to be the one where they tell it's shit and flame me to death, right?" After I posted chapter four, I expected to watch that favorite count drop down hard. However, to my surprise, you guys kept reading this story. You guys kept liking it. I'm thankful for that. I know this story is not for everyone. I know it has flaws.**

 **Still, if you were able to sit down and enjoy this, I'm glad. Thanks for reading Lonely Nights.**

 **Oh, and by the way, The Jaune-Shots will not update next week. December has been horrible, and I need a break. Also, I'll probably announce my next fic over there.**

 **Take care, everyone.**

 **Till next fic!**


End file.
